So Bates remains unfazed by the loss of three former academy graduates in Dowson, Wilson and Parling.
BBC: Falcons continue to fly the nest
2.
And at lock, the squad includes Ian Evans, Richie Gray, Alun Wyn Jones, Paul O'Connell, and Geoff Parling.
WSJ: Lions Reflect Welsh Success
3.
Dowson's Saints switch makes him the latest Falcons player to quit the club, following prop David Wilson and lock Geoff Parling, who will join Bath and Leicester respectively at the end of the season.