Tiaan Falcon, playing for Toyota Verblitz, slots a goal during the Top League match between MHI Sagamihara Dynaboars and Toyota Berblitz at Hanazono Rugby Stadium. Photo / Getty Images
Tiaan Falcon, playing for Toyota Verblitz, slots a goal during the Top League match between MHI Sagamihara Dynaboars and Toyota Berblitz at Hanazono Rugby Stadium. Photo / Getty Images
Hawke's Bay Magpies first-five Tiaan Falcon is finding that coping with level 3 lockdown is a breeze compared with dealing with the potentially deadly virus itself.
The 24-year-old contracted Covid-19 in Japan, where he has spent a season playing for Toyota Verblitz.
Now recovered, he is happy to be spendinglockdown at home in Hawke';s Bay with family.
Falcon has endured two-week MIQ stays at either end of his first year with Toyota Verblitz, as well as a couple of stints in isolation when a teammate and then he himself caught the virus.
Falcon said :"I definitely recommend getting the vaccine and doing our part to try and stop the virus, keep everyone alive and healthy''.
"You've just gotta protect your loved ones and your friends and family."
Falcon is safely bubbled up with his brother and brother's girlfriend in Poraiti – a short bike ride away from the Magpies' training field and some kicking practice.
In level 3, he and his teammates have received individual running and weight programmes from their trainer, which Falcon said provided valuable structure before team training can resume under level 2.
The whole squad is plugged into running tracking app Strava, through which they compete for the best times and keep each other accountable.
2019: Magpies fullback and player of the match Tiaan Falcon breaks out of a tackle against Otago at McLean Park. Photo / Ian Cooper.
Loose forward Gareth Evans is fastest over 3kms with Ereatara Enari, Ollie Sapsford and Tom Parsons not far off the pace.
Falcon said the Magpies also get together for Zoom sessions to share how they are all coping with lockdown:
"It's just nice having a few yarns with the boys ... we've had a couple online poker tournaments too."
"Some of the boys lose their money pretty quickly, they jump all in early into the game so it's usually just who survives the first couple rounds," he laughed.
Falcon says fellow back Sapsford has displayed a talent for winning poker hands by talking distracting "rubbish''.
"It comes naturally to him,'' Falcon reckons.
Falcon is confident the side will come into level two in good shape mentally and physically.
After a disappointing loss to Taranaki in their NPC opener, Hawke's Bay rebounded to defend the Ranfurly Shield against Otago with a 34-10 home victory on August 14.
Falcon said the team found their rhythm again, rediscovering the connectivity and free-flowing rugby he had enjoyed watching from Japan in 2020.
Having been a substitute in both games, the first-five - who can also play fullback - felt he added plenty to the Magpies off the bench.
Lincoln McClutchie started each match and with Caleb Makene still to return from injury, the coaches are spoilt for choice at first-five.
Falcon said he tries to bring control to the team when he is at the helm:
"Field position, tactically around the way we work and the shape of the team.
"We've got a lot of players that can run the ball from anywhere.
"My job as the 10 is making those decisions, being disciplined enough to know when to play in their half and when to run from our half."
Tiaan Falcon prepares to feed his outside backs during a 2019 Magpies rugby training session. Falcon is back for the 2021 season after a Japanese stint. Photo / Paul Taylor
Three rounds of the NPC have been postponed since the Otago match, and New Zealand Rugby will not be able to determine how and when the competition restarts until a shift to level 2 is announced.
Falcon said because the Magpies don't know when, where or even who they might play next, they are focusing on controlling what they can control.
"Whatever happens happens, and we've just gotta make sure that we're ready," he said.
