Falcons restore pride but victory is stolen
By Leipziger
October 23 2010
The Falcons put in a massive effort last night against title-chasing Saracens to put hope back into the hearts of supporters following an indifferent start to the season. At 13-9 up against 14 men on the back foot the game looked theirs for the taking until two kicks from the visitors, one long after the clock had hit zero, gave Saracens the win.
Newcastle partnered Jimmy Gopperth and Micky Young while Gcobani Bobo and Tim Swinson were also restored to the starting XV, and Rob Vickers returned as captain. Saracens were captained by former England skipper Steve Borthwick and fielded a multitude of other internationals, including his fellow red roser David Strettle and our destroyer at Vicarage Road in March, Schalk Brits.
Alex Goode kicked Saracens ahead early on and his boot battled with Jimmy Gopperth's throughout the first half, as both players missed apparently-simple kicks, but managed to get enough points on the scoresheet for the visitors to lead 3-6 at the break. Gopperth's second effort hit the top of the post and agonisingly fell in front of the line, but considering the pre-match predictions the hosts had done well to stay in touch that long.
Neither side was able to create many clear chances in the first 40. Gcobani Bobo and Tim Ryan made metres for the Falcons, while Noah Cato looked threatening for the visitors. The wayward home lineout was not helped by Glen Townson succumbing to injury during the first half and having to be replaced with Filipo Levi.
After the break Goode and Gopperth again exchanged penalties, and both used the boot to attempt to get their backs moving although this tactic was only moderately successful. The only try of the night came from a break by Luke Eves, and as the centre steamed through the middle Luke Fielden took a pass on his shoulder and went over under the posts.
Gopperth added the simple conversion, and everything looked good for the blacks when with 21 minutes left Schalk Brits was sin-binned for a tackle in the air. It was the third dangerous tackle of the game from Saracens following two previous hits around the neck, both signalled and penalised as such by referee JP Doyle. He did miss a spear tackle off the ball however, despite penalising Alex Tait, incorrectly in my view, for the same offence in the first half.
This seemed to fire up Saracens however while the Falcons, possibly suffering a lack of confidence, seemed to have difficulty in knowing how to defend such a slender lead. Goode kicked his fourth penalty to reduce the deficit to one point, and Saracens kept foraging away looking for another score.
In the dying minutes, Goode lined up a drop goal but with Charlie Amesbury closing in decided to run, and when he did attempt a kick with two or three minutes to go, it was charged down and fell to Amesbury who unfortunately knocked the wet ball on on the floor.
Just before the clock got down to zero Saracens were given a scrum, and as their forwards battled it out with their Newcastle counterparts, the referee gave a penalty in front of the posts for hands in the ruck to the horror of home fans.
As the boos rang around Kingston Park, Goode took his time but easily slotted the penalty to give Saracens the extra three points and leave the Falcons with just a losing bonus point to show for a big, proud performance.
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Still lots of problems but I feel more positive than before the match!
Had we secured the breakdown properly we could have cleared our lines and perhaps the pressure in the last few minutes would have been different. Who knows? But getting turned over in such a crucial area at such a time was not exactly ideal.
From where I was, the knock-on after the drop goal charge down looked to have gone backwards, but I wasn't exactly at the best angle to see - frankly I was shouting for anything and everything in our favour by then.
We can complain about refereeing injustice at times, but it appears the penalty was correct this time. And that shows up a painful truth - our penalty count in crucial areas of the pitch is terrible. It simply cannot always be the fault of a ref who is going against us, no matter how much us the fans like to think it is.
How many games have to pass us by before we clue up to this. Don't give the ref a decision to make. It's that simple.
Sometimes a penalty is preferable, and they will happen at times of course, but the sheer frequency that we concede in kickable areas is just not on. We've already lost a lot of points this season because of it.
That said, this was an excellent performance compared to that Irish match. If they keep this up we should be ok. Sarries are a very good team after all, and they never really threatened our line. To be beaten by penalties only makes it all the more annoying about our indiscipline in crucial areas of the pitch.
I was pleased with Gopperth's attempts to change the point of attack last night, instead of the ball being shovelled out wide all the time. Eves also clearly showed he is the man for the 12 shirt. Wilson M put in a solid shift but Amesbury looks like he is short of form and confidence at the minute...not that he made mistakes, more that he never looked like a threat, unlike last season when he was usually one of the few bright spots in the side.
I'm very worried about our scrum, we were a match for anybody last year but we're being mullered now.
I'd give him a go at FB but we're short on wingers currently. Fielden is doing ok but Williams is out of favour and Booboo has been tried and failed too many times on the wing. If we can get a new winger then I'd definitely five Amesbury a switch to FB.
GIR - our lineout had been much better this season till Hudson went out , and he was here last season so not Grimes.