Falcons Claw Back A Last Minute Draw

Henried!
By Razcal
April 7 2004

Times must change but is all change an improvement? Until recently a trip to the most northern outpost of top flight rugby meant standing in a muddy puddle to get a good view of the game but easy access to the beer tent.

If the rugby was slow you could watch the planes land and take off behind the East stand posts and idly wonder why they didn't pause for the kicks. Now you can stand without getting wet, a new terrace hides the planes and it is much harder to get served in the bigger crowds. Before kick off we had to endure an attempt to get the locals to adopt Blaydon Races as the club anthem. Either it happens or it doesn't, you can't manufacture these things. It was interesting to read a long moan in the programme from RA about the inability of referees to prevent cheating and without mentioning names you knew who he was getting at. So there, some changes would be refreshing.

Now for the rugby. Tigers kicked off towards the West Stand with a swirling breeze on a firmish pitch missing whole ribbons of grass. The game was barely a minute old when Henry Tuilagi ran full tilt at Noon. The Falcon's 13 lined his man up but had learned nothing from the home game earlier when the Samoan side step had left Newcastle bodies all over the pitch.

Because he was not low enough it was high noon for him and the first substitution was required. Tigers exerted some pressure early on but couldn't get points. Then Newcastle had a spell of pressure which was met by firm defence and though entertaining the first quarter was pointless. Joe Shaw went off on a stretcher, apparently hurt by one of his team mates landing on him. Some good moves from both teams ended with a poor pass or a poor catch.The Tigers line out suffered with two throws to the middle being lost. Then on 23 and 24 minutes there was an exchange of penalties. First Walder putting over a long range penalty from roughly 48 metres and Goode kicking a penalty awarded 10 metres out after a rampaging Tigers attack was thwarted by the expedient of cynically killing the ball.

I refer any Falcon's fan irate at this comment to the match programme notes. 3-3 then but I know which score was more deserved. Tigers then moved up a gear and exerted more or less constant pressure. Several good moves petered out which deserved something. Then, a good squeeze was put on a Falcons scrum in their 22 and though the home team kept the ball at the ensuing ruck there was no go forward and when Mayerhofler shaped to kick to touch it was obvious that he did not have enough room. The kick went two metres into the onrushing Jaco who calmly waited for the ball to bounce three times before picking up and scoring. The conversion followed and it was 3-10. The long drive up was forgotten and those of us who had not yet had enough punishment for the season were feeling good about life. More Tigers pressure followed and one potential score disappeared when a ruck Tigers were in control of saw the ball mysteriously pop up as if propelled by a hand on the Falcon's side five yards from the line. The pace and competitive nature of the game continued to take its toll. Harry went to the blood bin and Oz came on to keep Jaco on his toes, sometimes literally. Peel went off for Newcastle and Micky Ward came on to a chorus of 'He is big, he is round, he's worth a million pounds, Micky Ward, Micky ward'. Junior has now corrupted this to 'He is big, he is round , he weighs a million pounds, he's my dad'. I told him to save it for when we next met Stopsy. West joined the exodus to the bench. A rare Newcastle incursion into the Tigers 22 saw them move good line out ball along the backs and Stephenson raced in at the corner. The conversion missed but another exchange of penalties followed, again the Tigers one being awarded five metres out when a score looked certain. 11 points in injury time had left the half time lead at a precarious 11-13. Less than I thought we deserved but I consoled myself by thinking back to some of the away performances this season when the game was long gone by half time. The first 15 minutes of the second half were fairly even. Good Tigers attacks just failed but Newcastle exert some pressure too. Deacon joins the fun on the bench and Ben Kay lollops onto the pitch. Then out of nothing a rare poor kick from Jaco is run back by the Newcastle back 3 and I think Dunbar scores. The Newcastle 6 had been having a fine game. The conversion takes the score to 18-13 and I started having all sorts of déjà vu from grounds all round the country over the recent past. But the spirit is there now and while Holtby and Rowntree sort out the action in the dugout Tigers regroup.

Good pressure with several phases and quick ball saw Jaco and Backy score good tries with a conversion taking the score to 18-25. See, no need to worry, all the weaknesses have gone with the departure of Deano. A penalty comes our way. 'Take the 3', pleads junior.'We will, Jonno is captain,'I reassure him. But the kickable penalty is kicked to the corner and no score comes. Never mind. Straight after another kickable penalty comes our way. This time the right decision is taken but Goode gets no where near the target. Still this new improved Tigers will run the clock down, keep it tight and wait for the Falcon's patience to snap. Won't they? Not a bit off it. Tigers are now obviously edgy but there is nor real menace to the Newcastle attacks. The clock shows 79 minutes and there is going to be very little injury time this half. A ruck near the half way line is won by Falcons who start to move to their left then switch back right. Micky Ward sees this and simply grabs Geordan who is 20 yards away from the ball and prevents Geordan drifting to his own left. This leaves a hole for Vivian to run into and put May in for the equalising score. Normally I would take such an event on the chin and think about things evening out over a season but I have RA's programme notes in my pocket. He wants deliberate cheating stopped.

The tries were good, Jaco , Harry, White, Jonno , Gibson and Corry all had good games. It would be easy to curse one refereeing decision but we had Falcons on the ropes at 25-18 and did not finish them off. The backs are running harder and moving the ball better but some of the lines of running are too obvious and, hard as he is trying for the club, Andy Goode is no full back. He gets found out when the ball is put behind him and it seems just a bit too easy for that to happen. Good moves still break down through one misplaced pass or knock on. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my trip along all those miles of the A1 except for the group of Falcons supporters who Chant 'EEE HAW' donkey fashion at opposition players. My man of the match was Dunbar and the best Tiger player was Martin Corry.

There is still time for one last Newcastle attack. Vivian takes the ball on. Five yards out with the cover closing from behind but no Tiger's defender in front he elects to pass rather than dive. The ball is a little low but catchable. Mayerhofler does the decent thing and knocks on. The referee, probably by now aware of what Tigers thought of the previous try blows for full time. So 2 points not 4 but so close to 5 at times and then finally so close to being only 1. I did not agree with the Falcons fan who told me we were lucky to get a draw because of the last knock on. Wind the clock back , penalize Micky Ward and we would have entered injury time deep in the Falcons 22 and the opportunity to stay there 25-18 ahead. Lots of positives can be taken. We played at pace and made lots of ground forward through phases rather than kicking.