Falcons fall to tenacious Titans

Newcastle Falcons’ winless run against English sides was stretched to more than nine months with today’s home friendly defeat to Rotherham.

Playing on Kingston Park’s new artificial turf for the first time, the Falcons came up against a severe test in the form of the Championship side, and Dean Richards et al were given much to think about with just one more friendly to play ahead of the Premiership start.

With another team sent down to Yorkshire to play Doncaster simultaneously, the Falcons’ side was a mix of clear first-teamers, debutants and the occasional youngster. Simon Hammersley was at full-back following a solid night in the Darlington Sevens, while Juan Pablo Socino and Ruki Tipuna made KP bows in the backline. Eric Fry, Calum Green, Josh Furno and Uili Kolo'ofai were in the pack along with new England international Kieran Brookes. Ally Hogg was captain.

The Falcons showed attacking intent from the start but it was the Titans who broke the deadlock by isolating Hammersley in a three-on-one, Sinoti Sinoti unable to get to tryscorer Curtis Wilson in time to prevent the score. James McKinney converted from out on the Rotherham left.

Sinoti was at the forefront of much of the home side’s attacking, making breaks and beating defenders, while Noah Cato probed on the other wing and Socino also made inroads against his former club. However, persistent infringement by the Falcons saw Green sent to the bin for afters on the half-hour, and Rotherham spun the ball out wide to the right for James Broadley to touch down unopposed, McKinney again converting.

The Falcons looked to hit back and from a lineout the forwards battered on the door before Scott Lawson snapped over for Newcastle’s opening try. Rory Clegg converted. Rotherham also went a man down when Ben Morris, on loan from KP, was sent to the bin.

The second half saw Clegg and Tipuna replaced with Phil Godman and Warren Fury, while a new front row appeared in Rob Vickers, Rob Hawkins and Oliver Tomaszczyk. Rotherham again looked dangerous and were only denied a third try under the posts by the Falcons holding the ball up. However, the score was not long in coming, the Titans again finding joy on the far side and stretching the Falcons’ defence for Sean Scanlon to score on the left.

The Falcons took control for much of the rest of the match and repeatedly sent penalties to the left corner, but were not rewarded until replacement Will Welch was driven over, Socino hitting the conversion.

With the gap down to five points, Rotherham took points from their next penalty, McKinney slotting the ball over from distance.

With the atmosphere now cranked up inside KP, the Falcons continued to probe on the left until quick ball from Fury found Socino in a gap by the posts, the Argentine centre scoring his first try in a Newcastle shirt and then converting it.

Another long-range penalty from McKinney hit the Falcons’ post pad, and the home team came back on the attack. However, handling errors meant that the winning try alluded the Geordies and the final knock-on five metres out saw the full-time whistle blown and Rotherham celebrate a win that will be thought of very differently by the teams’ two camps