Alex Tait will have competition as Luke Fielden signs up

May 11 2010 by Nick Purewal, The Journal

FREE-SCORING Luke Fielden will challenge Alex Tait for the chance to make the Newcastle Falcons full-back berth a danger role again, according to Alan Tait.

New Falcons head coach Tait made 25-year-old Bedford flyer Fielden his second signing yesterday, after sealing the deal to bring seasoned Scotland cap Ally Hogg south from Edinburgh.

With 14 tries in 25 starts for Mike Rayer’s side this term, Fielden helped Bedford to the Championship play-off semi-finals after stepping up from Cambridge.

The powerful runner crossed for 27 tries in 24 games – bagging five hat-tricks – when making a name for himself in National League One with Cambridge, and now he finds himself back in the North East, where he represented the Falcons Academy during his Northumbria University days.

Impressed former Lions and Scotland centre Tait revealed it was Fielden’s try-scoring exploits, not his existing Newcastle link, that attracted his initial attention.

Backing his new capture to compete for the No 15 shirt despite the ability to operate at fly-half and wing, Alan Tait said the extra pressure should benefit his namesake and established Falcons full-back Alex.

“When I first looked into bringing Luke here I wasn’t aware of his link and the fact he had spent time with us before, so that was news to me,” admitted Tait, “but he came onto my radar because he’s been scoring tries for fun, to be honest.

“I asked Luke what position he wants and prefers to play, and his answer was full-back, which was exactly what I wanted to hear.