By Leipziger
May 17 2005

Following Epi Taione out of KP this summer is lock Craig Hamilton who moves to Glasgow. The big man has had a relatively short career with the Falcons, but in his time in the northeast he has become a respected member of the squad and a Scotland international.

Having come through the youth ranks himself; Hamilton has found his path to the first team this season blocked by Luke Gross and the development of Andy Buist and Geoff Parling.  Stretch started only 9 games in 2004/05, the last at Harlequins in March.

 

 

Hamilton first played for the senior team at Cardiff in a friendly towards the end of the 1998/99 season, and then lasted only seven minutes of his first league start in the 56-8 hammering at London Irish in October 1999.  But after coming on as a replacement two weeks later against Saracens was not seen again for over two years until the Falcons travelled to Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on 28^th October 2001.  Another start at Newport in January 2002 and a few substitute appearances were all the action Hamilton saw that season, his path to the first team blocked by Hugh Vyvyan, Stuart Grimes and Doddie Weir.

 

 

Stretch and Joe Shaw enjoying the sun during the Newport home game

 

The departure of Weir and Vyvyan’s new position at number 8 saw Stretch start 17 matches in 2002/03 and come on in a further seven, his first start Leeds at Kingston Park finally coming against Leeds on September 29^th 2002.  He started the next eleven of the next twelve games, before the signing of Mark Andrews further restricted his opportunities.

 

 

 

 

Stretch really came into his own in 2003/04, though playing slightly less than the previous year, his form greatly improved and he showed good ball-carrying skills, though that Falcons try he would never score continued to allude him.  He still was however not a first team regular as soon after he took the injured Andrews’ place in the second row alongside Garath Archer, Grimes returned from the World Cup and took his place.  Hamilton did however come on as a replacement in the Powergen Cup Final to win his first major medal.

 

 

International honours followed as Hamilton was taken by Matt Williams on Scotland’s 2004 summer tour and made his test debut, coming on as a replacement against Australia in Sydney.  Former coach Williams’ desire to have all of his squad playing for Scottish clubs is thought to have been one of Stretch’s reasons for moving over the border.

 

 

Archer and Andrews’ departures before the start of 2004/05 should have seen Hamilton seal a place in the Falcons’ starting second row, however, the continuing presence of Grimes and the signing of American giant Luke Gross have seen another obstacle put in Stretch’s way, and when Grimes was away on international duty in November, Andy Buist was often preferred, although the young pair were fielded together at Murrayfield in December.  Though he did start three of our four games during the Six Nations, Hamilton had already made up his mind to leave.  On 11th March came the news all Falcons supporters dreaded; that Stretch had been released by the club with a year left on his contract.

 

 

After a very slow start with Newcastle, Hamilton has in the last two seasons shown potential to be an excellent lock forward, and will be greatly missed at KP for his height, strength and relative pace in the second row.

 

 

Falcons debut: v London Irish (A) 3^rd October 1999, Premiership

Honours: English Cup winner 2004, 1 cap for Scotland

Total appearances: 68 (26 as replacement)

Total tries: 0

League appearances: 48 (21 as replacement)