'Calmness' key to Newcastle upturn - Dickens

Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Alan Dickens says a greater sense of "calmness" has been driving the team's improved fortunes over the last few weeks.

Red Bulls ended a 20-game wait for a Prem victory, stretching back to November, 2024 by beating Gloucester on Friday night.

That is allied to successive wins in the European Challenge Cup and scoring four tries in running Bristol Bears close in the league.

The three victories have been by a combined margin of 19 points, with Newcastle staying strong in the clutch moments.

"Over the last three or four years, it's well documented that Newcastle have struggled," said Dickens.

"There was a lot of emotion on the pitch, certainly behind the posts, that kind of stuff.

"At the moment, there's a calmness from the senior players and a sense of 'what's the next job?'"

The Kingston Park win moved Newcastle within four points of Gloucester and five of Harlequins and with a sense that things are starting to click.

Victory at home to Top 14 side Perpignan on Saturday would also guarantee their place in the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup for the first time in four years.

Dickens also points out that it was only at the start of last month that all of this season's squad were in place and so there was always going to be an element of catch-up, but he is noticing the increased confidence from their positive results.

"The players are definitely getting the confidence from the performances," he told BBC Sport.

"They are seeing the improvements and the standards they are setting. They were saying they left points out there against Gloucester and let them back into the game.

"They are driving the standards and for me as a coach, I love the players to take responsibility for performance, review that after a game and set high targets."