Second string season starts in style

 The Falcons got their A League season off to a good start last night with a 26-18 win at home to Sale.

After an early Joel Hodgson penalty, the hosts led Danny Cipriani’s Jets for the whole match in front of 100 (officially) spectators at Kingston Park.

James Ponton named a strong team including Hodgson and fellow first teamers Tane Tu’ipulotu, Warren Fury, James Fitzpatrick, Sean Tomes, Mark Wilson and Chris York, while Gary Strain and Scott Wilson for a chance for redemption after coming unstuck against Bath.

Cipriani was the big name in the Sale team alongside former Falcons Rob Miller, Charlie Ingall and Josh Beaumont.

The scoring was dominated by the boot in the first half, with two Hodgson kicks either side of a miss putting the Falcons 6-0 ahead.

Miller cut the deficit to three points, and the mercurial though fragile Cipriani grew in confidence as the half went on.

An early sliced up-and-under was followed by some neat passing and cutting runs in a 40-minute appearance by the former Mr Kelly Brook.

The Falcons’ main threat seemed to be through the forwards, although winger Sean Brown also looked dangerous. Sale had a chance later in the half when York and Tom Penny missed tackles but Mark Wilson took Sale into touch deep in the 22.

Further penalties had the home side 9-6 up at half-time.

Hodgson and Fury were replaced with Rory Clegg and Chris Pilgrim at the break and the returning fly-half immediately set up an attack with a kick into the 22 for Brown to chase.

The first try was not long in coming, Mark Wilson diving over on the right. Clegg converted and then added a penalty for a 19-6 lead.

Sale hit back when Ingall found a gap down the far right and offload for the onrushing Nathan Fowles to dive in, though it was too far out for the conversion.

A scrum almost on the 22 saw the Falcons push Sale back with apparent ease, and with Pilgrim and York ready to pounce at the base as the ball approached the line, a stray boot by a Sale defender left the referee with no option but to award a penalty try.

There was still time for Sale to even up the try count. From a penalty sent into the left corner and drove over for a converted score. But it was the Falcons who took the honours on an entertaining evening in front of a pink North Stand sunset.