Newcastle Falcons swoop to sign Scottish trio

NEWCASTLE Falcons have continued their eye-catching recruitmnent drive for next season by signing Scotland internationals Scott Lawson and Phil Godman – from London Irish and London Scottish respectively – while second-row Fraser McKenzie joins from Sale Sharks.

Phil Godman: Rejoins Newcastle. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

Lawson, 31, who has 36 Scotland caps to his name, brings a wealth of Premiership experience to Kingston Park having made more than 100 appearances in English rugby’s top flight.

Front-rower Lawson said: “I am really excited at the prospect of moving to the north-east and playing for Newcastle Falcons, a club that has big plans. Dean [Richards] explained the club’s vision to me before I signed, and looking at the coaching set-up which includes Graham Steadman, who I know from my days in the Scotland fold, I cannot wait to get started.”

Fellow Scottish international, No 10 Phil Godman, re-joins the Falcons from fellow Championship outfit London Scottish.

The former Newcastle fly-half has played 23 times for Scotland and brings an experienced control to the backline, a trait he showed whilst playing for London Scottish in their narrow 12-9 defeat to Newcastle at Kingston Park before Christmas.

Godman signed professional forms with the Falcons in 2002, and after two years with the north-easterners, he moved to RaboDirect Pro 12 outfit Edinburgh where he established himself as first-choice fly-half. After eight seasons with the Murrayfield club, Godman joined London Scottish at the start of this season.

Newcastle’s third acquisition is 25-year-old McKenzie who makes the move to the North East on the back of two seasons with Sale where he has made 42 appearances. The Dunfermline-born lock, who can also play in the back-row, began his career at Edinburgh before moving to Sale ahead of the 2011-12 season.

McKenzie has represented Scotland at Under-19, Under-20 and ‘A’ level, skippering his country at the Under-19 World Championships.