Lawson loving Falcons revival
As a Premiership stalwart Scott Lawson's taken a few bumps and scrapes over the years – but the hooker is fit and flourishing at Newcastle Falcons.
Now into his sixth season in the Premiership, Lawson made the switch from London Irish over the summer after one year at the Madejski Stadium.
A thumb injury picked up in pre-season training curtailed his chance to make a dream start, but now with four Premiership games under his belt, the 32-year-old is making up for lost time.
The Scotland international made the move up north having bought into director of rugby Dean Richards' grand plans at Kingston Park.
And he intends to be right in the thick of the action as the Falcons bid to develop a firm foothold in the Premiership once again.
"I love it here, it's been brilliant and exactly what I thought it would be," said Lawson, who played at Gloucester for four years. "I want to be here for a considerable length of time and see through what Dean Richards and the coaching staff are trying to build.
"One of the plus points being here is that it's so close to home and that helps when you have a wife and four young children.
"And Newcastle also have a tradition of Scottish-based players but being part of something exciting was really key for me.
"You get to a stage where you start thinking about the future but to be honest I'm not feeling my age at all, I feel as fit as I've ever been – but I say that touching wood as I don't want to curse myself or anything!
"You know that can change as unfortunately Matt Thompson is out through injury, Rob Vickers is playing at prop at the moment, but it's good to know I can offer a lot to the team with the experience as well.
"There's a lot of local talent, like George McGuigan, which is part of Dean's plans and I think having older players around can only help them out.
"I'm not going to be playing 32 times a season and I don't think anyone can, but I'm feeling great."
The Falcons return to Premiership action after seeing off Italian outfit Calvisano twice in the Challenge Cup.
Now Lawson is intent on keeping the ball rolling ahead of playing an Exeter Chiefs team who he admits are a role model for all newly-promoted sides.
"We managed to get two wins against Calvisano even though double headers can be quite tricky, now we want to keep that consistency heading back into the Premiership," he added.
"They were a big physical side and though they weren't intense as our next games should be, we can carry that momentum for the game at Exeter.
"They've built a strong academy and foundations and though they're not a traditional Premiership side, over the last three or four years they have have grown and developed their game.
"Newcastle have been there in the past but we're still a new squad after promotion. I think with Dean Richards' vision we can do so again."
