THE end of Newcastle’s long wait for a victory in the Premiership created ripples that extended well beyond the north-east. The Falcons’ players were celebrating in the city centre when outside-half Ethan Grayson, who little more than a month ago was not thinking about playing in the Premiership as he prepared to return to the United States for a second season with San Diego Legion, received text alerts on his mobile phone.
They were from two Test centurions who between them appeared in four World Cup finals and who had been following Newcastle’s clash with Exeter at Kingston Park from thousands of miles away – former New Zealand centre Ma’a Nonu and Matt Giteau, who played at outside-half and in the midfield for Australia.
For the first six months of the year, Grayson saw them on an almost daily basis with Giteau and Nonu, both in their 40s, lining up at 10 and 12 for the Legion and the 22-year old Grayson doing their running for them at outside centre.
“I learned the most I have ever done playing in San Diego,” said Grayson, who moved to the United States after London Irish collapsed two months after he had signed a contract having decided to leave his home club Northampton. “Playing outside those two was easy.
“I was there with my former teammates at Northampton Connor Tupai and Luke Green. We always got to the club early on training days, but no matter what time we arrived Ma’a was always there. We spoke to him about it and he said he went for an ice bath at 5.30 every morning and then had a sauna.
“We decided to join him, even though it meant getting up at 4.30, and it was time well spent. He had a fund of stories from his playing days and talked about the likes of Jonah Lomu, Christian Cullen and Tana Umaga. More than that, he taught me so much, not least the value of hard work.
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