Good things come in 33s
By Leipziger
October 16 2011
The Falcons got off to a good start in the LV= Cup last night with a 33-3 win over Cardiff at Kingston Park, scoring five tries to go second in our group behind Gloucester.
The team were boosted by the return of Jeremy Manning from injury in the centre, and Euan Murray was back from the World Cup alongside Darren Fearn and Michael Mayhew, both making their first competitive starts in a black shirt. Rikki Sheriffe made his first start of the season.
Cardiff played a side with few recognisable names for many of us, their star players being in New Zealand with the Welsh squad that suffered such heartbreak at the hands of France yesterday morning.
The Falcons went ahead within just a couple of minutes when from a penalty lineout Mark Wilson was driven over amid a pile of bodies on the left, and captain Jimmy Gopperth converted.
Greg Goosen, returning to the starting line-up after injury, scored twice to extend the lead to 19-0. The Falcons were in complete control with Sheriffe probing the defence and Jordi Pasqualin showing good form in only his second start since signing in the summer.
Cardiff didn't really look like scoring in the first half, although they did repeat their national team's penalty miss from halfway. Probably good for Leigh Halfpenny that it did miss.
In the second half Rhys Patchell kicked a penalty for the Blues, just to get them on the scoresheet probably, although an earlier drop-goal attempt had looked good but the referee did not agree. In truth it had looked like the Cardiff players didn't really want to be there for most of the night so far.
Mayhew scored under the posts, and Goosen completed a hat-trick out wide through a gaping hole in the away defence. Gopperth's conversions put us 33-3 up.
In the last 15 minutes Cardiff found some heart and put some good attacking play together in the Falcons' 22, but our defence managed to repell whatever was thrown at them to ensure a morale-boosting win.
After the game last night I guess most people will have been pretty happy, certainly there is nothing in the result to complain about and the game was over after half an hour really.
The scrum was solid a lot of the time, though not always, and Pasqualin must have put himself in with a shout of being first-choice scrum-half. The lineout was however pretty shocking after a few early wins, which is a worry with James Hudson still suspended at Northampton in two weeks.
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It may only be the LV but winning feels really really good!
Well done lads more of the same in the Premiership please.
Anyone know last nights attendance? If we can carry on playing like that I'm sure attendance will go up.
Decent crowd too all things considered.
Quote:b o f
missing fans missed the best attacking display by a falcons side for many a game
Missing fans missed the best defensive display by a Falcons side for many a game. The five or so minutes that they kept Cardiff out was intense & as good a defense as I've seen all season.
Referee: A Small Attendance: 3,176
says it all I think. .... well it amused me!
The Falcons got three mentions in the entire programme.
Mention 1: Geoff Parling used to play for newcastle Falcons.
Mention 2: The only team Leicester have beaten this season is.................Newcastle Falcons.
Mention 3: ( round-up) - Newcastle Falcon 33 - Cardiff 3. A Goosen hat-trick. No mention of the bonus point.
I despair.
.....but what do I know? I'm not an Australian TMO.