Andy Long eyes up England return

The future looks bright for new Falcons hooker

Newcastle Falcons' new acquisition, Andy Long, is hoping that his move to the North-East will put him back in the England frame - a full seven years after he won the first of his two Test caps.

The hooker hit the headlines in 1997 after he was selected to start against Australia at Twickenham as a bright-eyed 21-year-old.

That game - Clive Woodward's first as England coach - represented a turning point for English rugby, and the 15-15 final scoreline augured well for the new faces on both sides of touchline.

But Woodward dropped the debutant to the bench for the following week's 25-8 loss to New Zealand at Old Trafford, and - aside an appearance off the bench against the United States in 2001 - Long has not come close to the lilywhite No.2 jersey since that time.

But the hooker, who joins the Powergen Cup champions from demoted Rotherham Titans, told Planet Rugby that his new surrounds have instilled him with renewed faith in his abilities and his future.

Long suffered a very unsettled 2003/04 season which kicked off with a move away from Bath - his home and his club for seven years.

After a proposed move to the Sale Sharks fell through, he found his way to Rotherham after an early season stint with Munster. But Long insists that his long nomadic year has made him stronger.

"It was certainly a funny old season, but there were plenty of positives too," said the 26-year-old.

"All my rugby life I had only known Bath, the Rec, the Bath players and the Bath coaches.

"But since leaving Bath I have had the opportunity to play with different players, learn from different coaches, and get a grip of different rugby cultures - experiences that I believe have made me a better player. 

"Of course, experiencing the drop with Rotherham was hard, and it was very hard for me to leave - but when a opportunity comes up to play in the Zurich Premiership you would be foolish not to accept it.

"I see my move to Newcastle as a break - a big break - and I'm determined to make it work.

"I've still got international aspirations - I think I'm good enough to challenge for a spot in the English set-up, and believe that playing for the Falcons will allow me to fulfil that ambition."

The hooker puts his optimism down to the buzz enveloping Kingston Park ahead of the new season.

Long joins the likes of Matt Burke, Colin Charvis and Semo Sititi on the club's new roster - and reports suggest a certain Jonny Wilkinson is finally ready to lace his boots in anger after an agonising seven-month stint as the Falcons' waterboy.

"We are all really positive - pre-season training has only just started, but there's definitely a sense of anticipation in the air," said Long.

"There's a brilliant atmosphere at the club - I can't speak highly enough of the coaches for what they are trying to achieve, and for the groundwork that they have put in place.

"It's just fun to come to training every day - and it's a great sign when a group of blokes are just simply looking forward to getting down to the hard work.

"We really believe that we can compete at the very highest level, and our inclusion in the Heineken Cup has presented us with the ultimate yardstick - I have no doubt that we will measure up."

By Andy Jackson