Falcons finally off their marks

I’ve thought of so many ways to start this, I don’t really know which to use. Perhaps I’ll just point out that come 7pm last night I was pacing around platform 2 in the Central Station grinning, and probably looking, like an idiot.

It was already going to be a push to get four hours’ sleep last night, and the train was then 25 minutes late leaving Newcastle. Couldn’t have cared less.

Yesterday wasn’t pretty at times, it was certainly far from perfect, but last time I checked the league table doesn’t count anything but the final score. 15-10!

Driving rain is a lovely sound on a dark morning, I think anyway, and that told me I wouldn’t be painting the garage roof yesterday morning. It stopped later and the sun even came out for a while over west Newcastle, but come kick-off time (3.30pm I ask you!) God had turned the taps back on.

Both teams were forced into late changes, Chris Mayor replacing Riki Flutey for Wasps and the Falcons’ Greg Goosen dropping out for Alex Tait. The big news for us was the debut of Corne Uys ‘of Spades’.

The Falcons went ahead after just a few minutes through probably the easiest penalty Jimmy Gopperth will score all season, right in front of the south posts.

Wasps scored the opening, and in the end only, try of the day soon after. Christian Wade took a pass on the far right and evaded a wild flying tackle from Alex Tait before breaking through the defence. Ryan Davis converted.

The first half was full of errors from both sides, the Falcons having over-buttered their hands before kick-off and struggling to get any kind of decent possession together. I don’t know about any one else but such was Wasps’ dominance in the scrum I was terrified whenever either team won one.

The lack of quality translated into a subdued crowd.

Finally Gopperth knocked a second penalty over to get the Falcons back into the game, and a minute before half-time kicked his third.

Somehow, after an awful first half, we were 9-7 up at the break. Not complaining though.

I was surprised to see Tait come back out for the second half as I thought he had a mare in the first 40. I mention this only because Chip cleared a Wasps grubber well early after the restart with opponents bearing down.

Gopperth extended our lead to five points with another penalty, but Davis replied. However, the Falcons looked a different team in the second half, with a newintensity from the forwards and some nippy play from Will Chudley at scrum-half.

With ten minutes left, the Falcons won a penalty. Gopperh stepped up and continued his 100% record for the afternoon. Five points ahead, a first win of the season seemed so close but it was also still so far away.

Nerves shredding, the 4,000-off at KP did the only thing we could do – make a heck of a lot of noise.

The Falcons put in a big defensive effort to restrict Wasps to the middle area of the pitch and after winning possession tried to pick and drive the game out.

Horrifically, with 30 seconds to go, the referee gave Wasps a scrum and the visitors plugged away for another few minutes. Finally they were driven into touch, and players and supporters alike erupted in joy and relief!

The Premiership table now shows us level on points with Northampton, though still bottom on points difference.

Not great perhaps but we are where we are and now the pressure of being winless is gone we can hopefully move ahead with confidence. The only way is up.

I never thought I’d say this, but I can’t wait for Vicarage Road next week!