Glory night
By Leipziger
February 14 2009
So when Kevin Williams asked me just a few minutes before kick-off what I was looking for from last night's game, I replied that what I wanted was simple: a win. I didn't care if the score was 0-3, 3-5, 8-9 or 0-50, we just needed a win to get us as far away from Bristol at the bottom of the table.
I was as confident as one can be when his team and second bottom and away from home, and the 200 or so Geordies who made the long trip to the South West were probably even more confident thanks to 40 boxes of free beer.
But did anyone expect what did actually happen at the Memorial Stadium last night? I certainly didn't.
The tone was set in the opening minutes when the Falcons attacked with a pace and energy rarely seen this season, and Danny Williams (or Wilson, as the Bristol commentator behind me kept calling him) went through to score on the right – or not, due to a forward pass.
Tom May's penalty put us ahead though, and after a high ball from Alex Tait caused confusion on the edge of the 22, we drove to the line and Geoff Parling forced his way over in the corner, May hitting the difficult conversion sweetly. 0-10 already!
This seemed to wake Bristol up as they began to attack and break through some dubious Newcastle tackling, and the home crowd raised their voices in an attempt to drown out the Geordie hordes.
May and his opposite number Ed Barnes exchanged further penalties, and May's boot extended our lead to 3-16 at half time following an excellent performance in the first 40.
But the job was only half done. The promise o a 13th season of Premiership rugby was within our grasp if only we could survive the inevitable Bristol onslaught after the break. Surely we couldn't hope for an even better second half. Could we?
Kicking of towards the clubhouse end of the Memorial Stadium, Bristol quickly won a penalty which Barnes mis-kicked and sent wide, but the Falcons quickly went forward again, May missing a kick of his own.
We weren't to be denied further points however, with Ed Williamson and Brent Wilson, the latter just minutes after he came on to test tired home legs, both scoring tries to all but seal our win along with a second conversion by May.
In between the scores, Bristol's only real visit to our try-line led to a dangerous drive, but some absolutely heroic deeding kept our rivals out. As time ebbed away, so did any hope Bristol had of a comeback and, likely, avoiding relegation.
Andy Perry's bonus point try was the cherry on the icing on the £5.50 slice of carrot cake, making a firm statement to the rest of the Premiership that we ain't going nowhere!
Except, at the moment, the heady heights of ninth in the table, although Wasps and Worcester both have two games in hand.
3-35! Who predicted that beforehand? Certainly not me. But our Falcons are nothing if not unpredictable and a first try bonus point for almost exactly SEVENTEEN MONTHS to pretty much secure our place in next season's Premiership is most welcome.
While not wanting to take away from a superb team performance, some individuals stood out, in particular Tait who played a clever kicking game, May for his intelligently use of the ball for the most part, Micky Young was aware and provided quick ball, and David Wilson and Carl Hayman were more than solid in the scrum.
The back row were fast and committed, the backs confident and energetic. Just a brilliant show all round.
Above all, we saw once again what happens when this team plays running rugby – not because they 'should', but because it's the style with which we have the best chance of winning.
It may have been a game against the bottom team, but I we can win 3-35 in Bristol, then we are certainly capable of at least tight wins against most if not all of the other teams in this league and so should look to the rest of the season with confidence.
Starting next Friday against Saracens, on the same night Bristol travel to Sale. Any small, lingering doubts as to our league status (there are still 45 points to play for after all) should be settled with a win against the Fez Boyz.
It's just gone 11.45pm, I should be home in another two hours, but those travelling back to Newcastle by road will take a little longer. Well done to all of you for making so much noise, and to the club for paying for four coaches – you were all certainly well rewarded! I don't think any of us who were in Bristol last night will ever forget this game.
And after our last two league games, I'm sure we'll all have a little spring in our steps as we walk into KP next Friday!
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With all the running rugby we played it seems strange that all the tries were scored by forwards. Why didn't the backs get any?
Now the team have to take that form and confidence to the next game and the rest of the season. The biggest challenge is now to get a little run of results going.
Ours Shamed us!
Good luck for the rest of the season.
Sorry we wont be comming to visit for quite a while.
Way Aye and farewell.
Please ignore my strapline I'm going on a diet.
No drugs no fake blood just good honest rugby
C'MON BRISS
I'm shattered and sore today but it was really worth the very long trip and an absolutely superb performance.
The team were so fired up from the off and never let up throughout the match and some very good tries and just a bloody good team performance with everyone playing very well with Williamson probably MOTM if had to pick one.
And a few weeks ago, we had MOTM as the whole team! Well that really does apply to the team last night!
Come on sarries, a spanking awaits you!
On the trip home, at approx. 2 am our coach pulled off the motorway to the services for a "comfort break"
When we got off the coach there was absolutely nothing there.
The area was quite huge but all that I could see were a few single storey flat-roofed precast concrete buildings long since evacuated.
There were a couple of fuel pumps and a small brick built building which doubled as payment kiosk and tiny shop.
This building also housed the means by which we could take our "comfort". The only trouble being that the male WC was just that. A WC. We stood in line outside the door waiting for the person in front attaining their "comfort" and then it was our turn. It was like the long queues we used to see in Eastern European countries waiting for their daily bread ration.
The whole area was unlit and as I looked round the landscape I was reminded of those places we see on TV and in films where the Russian and American contingents swap their spies in some long abandoned WW2 airfield.
It was a bit surreal. I thought all motorway service stations were brightly lit small shopping malls serving over-priced food and drink. Obviously not.
Still gutted I couldn't go, despite your apocalyptic description WS.
It was my understanding that 4 FULL buses made the trip to Bristol.
So why no bogs?
I suppose a bus netty isn't the best ande certainly not condusive to a sitty doon job.
It's not very easy to use a bus loo when it's on the move.
Hammered I may have been & Mrs S tells me there may be a few apologies to make, but I neither soiled the netty, my kilt or myself