The Falcon Has Landed

By Chris Chaplin
March 12 2003

...at the bottom of the Premiership, for the moment anyway. Will the revival seen against Quins and Leeds continue or will it be more disappointment for our friends from the North?

It seems that I've prefaced every preview this season with the words "it's a must win game" but, this really is a "must win game". Falcons are in big trouble anchored at the bottom of the Premiership table on the same points as Irish but with the ReadingBoks having a game in hand. Irish are entertaining Quins at the MadStad, and given Quins away record, it's hard to see Irish not getting four points. So if Falcons falter against the Tigers they'd be 4 points adrift with Irish still a game to the good. However a five point win over Tigers could move Falcons up to eighth or ninth, as I can't see Sarries beating Wasps at Adams Park or Bath beating Saints, who look a much better team than their 39 points would suggest and I still think Bristol might put one over their West Country rivals, uncontested scrums permitting of course!

As far as Tigers are concerned they have to beat Falcons and score five points in the doing just to maintain the status quo and stay in fourth place, albeit still probably three points adrift of Wasps. I think Leeds will beat Sale by playing their usual limited game, relying on forward power and Braam VanStratten's boot the four points putting them on 48. Wasps, by beating Sarries, will move on to 52 and close the gap to Sale to a point.

If, on the other hand, Tigers lose we could find ourselves down in sixth place on equal points with Saints and any realistic chance of featuring in the playoffs gone. So it really IS a "must win game" for both sides.

Falcons have had a terrible time and it was clearly a massive strategic error when Rob Andrew decided not to get his benefactor's cheque book out following the departure of so many of his senior players in the close season.

I saw Falcons play Quins a few weeks back and even taking into account Quins renowned frailty on the road Falcons looked good. Their pack did well but they were not asked any serious questions the opposition eight, however this was not the case shortly after when they turned over Leeds and ran Wasps close. Their two front row youngsters, Peel and Makin, have started to show their potential now and with the solid South African, Marius Hurter, the trio are beginning to hold their own against good opposition.

In the Pantheon of the great modern day locks I guess Martin Johnson, Ian Jones, John Eales and Mark Andrews would have their places pretty much reserved, so what a potential feast awaits us on Sunday when two of that number; Messrs Johnson and Andrews could be squaring up to each other. In the Quins game although Andrews still had his South African flight bag over his shoulder he nevertheless made an impact on proceedings and he then only managed 40 minutes against Leeds until he went off injured at half-time, an injury that kept him out of the Wasps match as well. So neither Falcons or the English rugby public at large have yet seen the most capped Springbok in his full pomp. Of course Falcons have sound alternatives in Stuart Grimes, who had a good game against the Welsh at Murrayfield, and in another youngster, Craig Hamilton, who is making a bit of a name for himself up on Tyneside. Johnson/Kay and Andrews/Hamilton would be interesting, but if fit I guess it will be Andrews and Grimes to face Tigers and they will be no push-over (sorry I'll stop alluding to uncontested scrums - promise!!)

Another Scot who had a first rate game on Saturday in the Six Nations was Adrian Mower, he was, along with the Italian open-side in the England game, the quickest back row to the ball in all of the matches that I saw over the weekend. He did miss one tackle in difficult circumstances, so you'd have to forgive him that blemish on an otherwise first rate display. Hugh Vyvyan is a solid if unspectacular contributor and a bit like a "Richard Hill Lite" gets on with his work and is a bit underestimated by other than the Falcons' faithful. Tigers should not make that mistake. Finally at blindside a bit of a conundrum - Epi Tiaone. He was (sorry to use the word) awesome against Quins and caused mayhem wherever he appeared, but he's not really a blindside, he's a big, strong, fast winger. He can be fantastic as a flanker but can blow a bit hot (as he was against Quins) and cold (as he was against Wasps). So let's hope it's a cold day on Sunday.

At scrum-half Falcons have similar problems to Tigers really with ex-Tiger James Grindal and Hall Charlton. With all due respect to them, they are more in the journeyman class than that of craftsman. This, again like Tigers, may be the reason the Falcons talented back-line has not really functioned. At 10 the World's best fly-half; one Jonny Wilkinson. The lad has class printed through him but he has had to cope with poor ball all season, when he's not been injured that is, another similarity with some of Tigers' England players! Interestingly enough I get the impression that he has a better strike rate with his boot for England than for his club, but that does not stop him being a points machine for the Kingston Park side his having scored all the points against Wasps and the majority against Leeds.

In the centre we can expect to see Jamie Noon partnered by either Tom May or All Black Mark Meyerhofler. Given the acknowledged problems that England have in the centre I am baffled why neither of the two English players have had at least a seat on the bench for a full international of late. How galling it must be for them not to have had their chance to repel the charge that Ollie Smith will now rightly make to partner Greenwood following his debut against the Italians. Noon in particular is, to my mind, one of the best English centres around and he'll prove an interesting test for Kafer/Smith.

On one wing is that flying machine Michael Stephenson, boy can this lad go and he runs some lovely lines as well. It's unfortunate for him that there's such a plethora of talented wingers available for Woodward and that he may have to wait for another chance.

Ex West Hartlepool and Cardiff's Liam Botham sits on the other wing and for me he is another in the journeyman rather than craftsman category, often good at everything but rarely great. Full back is ex Saint and the tonsorially modified Joe Shaw. Don't know about this lad now anymore now than I did when I saw him play for our neighbours at Franklin's Gardens. Decent enough in attack with some good pace but I sometimes think he's perhaps not that keen on the defensive part of his role when it gets up close and personal.

So there we are then. Still largely a young team but beginning to come to their game at last. Will Mark Andrews make the difference between visits for Falcons to Leicester and Northampton or visits to Birmingham and Exeter next season?

Tigers pack again played well against Gloucester in the PGC Semi-final and were cruelly and unfairly denied their just rewards on that occasion but neither Rowntree or Kay seemed especially downcast when they played for England last weekend. Indeed the pack has played well in all but one game this season and they must wonder what more they can do having scored 28 tries this term to the 42 contributed by the backs, who are supposed to do that kind of thing! With Franck and West both having enjoyed a weekend off and Rowntree on good form these three will surely start. Johnno and Ben Kay must start at lock. I think the improving Falcon front row will find it difficult against the Tigers' trio and as I've already said the confrontation at lock should be fascinating and one on which the game could well turn and alone be worth the price of the ticket.

Even were our resources not so depleted in the back row it's difficult to see how the missing duo of Back and Moody could dislodge Josh and Adam Balding given their current form and with Corry really on fire they should account for Mower and company. Aside then for the second row battle I see Tigers again dominant in the forwards, but they can't do it all.

I thought that our play sharpened significantly when Tierney came on against Gloucester, Jamie having had a very poor game, surely the Irish international has earned a start, which would be his first since the home game against Beziers. Unless Oz is back Vesty will again start at 10, with the other option McMullen seemingly having been discarded. Young Sam will have the privilege of opposing Wilko and could be in for an object lesson in fly-half play if the England man receives decent ball, so it's essential he doesn't get it! Rod disappeared back into his antipodean shell at Franklins Garden, making just a brief appearance in the final quarter, he'll need to be much more assertive and dynamic against the enthusiastic and talented Falcons pairing(s). Ollie was absolutely top class when winning his first cap against Italy and Tigers must get quick ball to him.

On the wing I'd like the reappearance of Fred who should be quick enough to cope with Botham and then I'd hope to see Joe Shaw given plenty of accurate kicks to turn and field with the spectre of the Samoan Exocet bearing down on him, exposing what I think may be a flaw in Shaw's play. On the other wing Geordan please, so he can treat us to a full display of his footballing skills and Stimmo at 15 although his having played for the extras I wonder if he‘s going to start. Has he upset somebody?

The outcome? Well if we try to play it through the backs and they're as bad as they were against Glaws we'll lose. So if the backs don't turn up again it could once again be down to the forwards . I honestly don't know what'll happen. But we've got to win!