Noon & Tait - Centres of Excellence

By Mark H
January 31 2005

For the first time in the club's history, Newcastle Falcons will provide both centres for a full England side, when Andy Robinson's side takes the field for the Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.

Jamie Noon wins his sixth cap in the inside centre position, whilst 18 year old Mathew Tait makes his England debut outside him, beating off the challenge of Leicester's Ollie Smith.

For Noon, it could finally see the long awaited breakthrough into a regular spot in the national team after having impressed week in, week out over the last six seasons. With his last appearance also coming in Cardiff in August 2003, it's been a very long, and as most Falcons supporters will tell you, a very overdue return to the line-up. As one of the eight players in the first cull of Clive Woodward's 43 man provisional World Cup squad, there must have been times that the man born in Goole was thinking "will I ever get the chance again?". An impressive Churchill Cup tour last summer with the England A team saw him lauded not only as the best Englishman there, but as the natural heir should Messrs Tindall and Greenwood be absent.

Those hopes were brutally dashed during the Autumn internationals, when despite having proved himself to be the standout centre in the Zurich Premiership over the early weeks of the season, Robinson's first selections were the combination of Tindall and Henry Paul. Noonie could only continue to give his all to the Falcons cause and wait for certain mindsets to be altered. Sparkling performances week on week, particularly in the home defeat of Perpignan, have meant that he can't be ignored any more.

It is, however, somewhat ironic that his chance has come during the season that he's suffered the most injuries of his career. Hopefully he can recover from the dead leg of Friday to take the number twelve shirt.

"Noon deserves his chance, so give him a go." (Dewi Morris)

Tait on the other hand, is your archetypal, actual fairytale. On Saturday, he will be 18 years and 364 days old; the fifth youngest player ever to play for England. On 2 May 2004, he made his Falcons debut against London Irish whilst still studying for his A levels. The academic results were straight A's. The rugby results were just as significant. With his first touch of the ball, forty yards from the Irish tryline, he set off, skinned Justin Bishop (who's certainly no mug) and scored a try that would mean that life for the Barnard Castle pupil would never be the same again.

"Mathew will play for England, I have no doubt about that as he is a very special talent" (Rob Andrew)

It was Rob Andrew's intention not to rush his prodigy this season, giving him games when needed but not overplaying him. After a rash of injuries in the centres, Tait replaced Joe Shaw at Gloucester, and hasn't looked back since. A full appearance at Kingston Park against Leicester brought a try;
the next home game against Sarries brought another, which earned him Sky's try of the month, and then the hat-trick was completed with a crucial try against Perpignan which proved the difference between the two sides.

"Having coached Scott Gibbs, I would say that Mathew is as physically strong pound for pound." (Steve Black)

A call up to the England Sevens squad for the tournaments in Dubai and South Africa brought a victory in Dubai - not bad for a first national call up! Coming on as a substitute just after half time in the Powergen Cup on his return, he worked the oracle again, and produced a try to start off an
ultimately fruitless attempt at a comeback. And then, to partly steal the Jonny versus Charlie show, he bounced off Jason Robinson to score the first try against Sale in the first game of the new year. Not a bad way to announce yourself to the nation's press...

"Mathew Tait is a spectacular try waiting to happen every week" (Stuart Barnes)

So far this season, it's been 16 appearances, 6 tries, and a growing fan club. Like the last teen prodigy to play for England from Falcons, Tait too has a brother looking to follow him - Alex, a full back, has already been selected for the England under 18 squad for the Four Home Unions Festival in March.

"It's difficult to find a compelling reason why he wouldn't be able to cope with Test rugby." (Brian Ashton)

Yes, it may be referred to as a risk by playing one so young in the cauldron that will be the Millennium Stadium, but he's playing with the guy he plays outside every week, he's confident, and he's classy. He's also been helped immensely by having a great player behind him at full back in Matthew Burke; that will be replicated when he plays in front of Jason Robinson.

Neither Noonie or Taity's England careers will end after Saturday's game, but in both cases, a good performance could well see their careers starting. With a little over two years before the next World Cup, two years of experience could prove invaluable when it comes down to the job of defending the trophy.

The last words (almost) go to Taity:-

"...hopefully I've done alright..."

Now go and show the world what we know you both to be - great players.