Falcons flyer on the crest of a wave

ELLIOTT Obatoyinbo is hoping he can ride the crest of Newcastle's wave and return to the sort of form that he showed when he first arrived on Tyneside two-and-a-half years ago.

- JON NEWCOMBE

The multi-talented 26-year-old made an instant impression when he left Saracens and the south behind to join the Falcons, initially on a short-term deal. But like the rest of his team-mates, it has largely been an uphill slog since then.

But, while the Falcons are still a long way from where they want to be, the long-awaited Premiership wins over Exeter and the club's Premiership Rugby Cup run have helped to lift everyone's mood at Kingston Park.

"I feel like I have gone through and downs. I feel like I was playing as well as I could in that team, and I ups felt like I was gaining momentum. Then the following season we had a new coach (Alex Codling replaced Dave Walder) and that season didn't go to plan. But now I feel like we are starting to build some momentum, and I feel like for me to play as well as I can, the team needs to be doing well as well. We are slowly getting there," said the full-back, who once counted the likes of Elliot Daly, Andy Goode and Liam Williams among his mentors.

Obatoyinbo has had to contend with two big injuries in the last 12 months, a shoulder operation cutting short his involvement at the end of last season and a damaged PCL interrupting the start of this campaign.