NEWCASTLE FALCONS 16

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 7

Guinness Premiership Round 20

Kingston Park

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Led out by centurion Mark Robinson Saints had both chances and a major scare inside a frenetic opening. After recovering the kick-off the visiting pack set off on a powerful drive, but this became the only tightly constructed piece of attacking by either side as knock-ons and commitment to keep the ball in hand had the crowd on its feet.

The first break in play was a Northampton 22 four minutes in after Paul Diggin narrowly beat Jamie Noon to the touchdown. But this spurred the Falcons and after Jonny Wilkinson had prodded a penalty to the corner the home forwards drove for the line. They came within inches, fracturing the defence to send Toby Flood over unchallenged. Wilkinson converted and Saints were 7-0 down.

Wilkinson overcame the strong wind to land a penalty five minutes later but the next few minutes saw Saints control the ball in trying to work their way back into match. Nevertheless the only time that the home defence looked like being breached was when Carlos Spencer spied a gap and fed Robbie Kydd.

Kydd, however, was stopped in his tracks by former Wallaby Matthew Burke, stayed down and was replaced by Stephen Myler. This was compounded by two penalties conceded in quick succession, the second of which was converted by Wilkinson to make the score 13-0.

Saints recovered the kick-off and again spread the play to try and unlock the defence. But Newcastle's defence was matching their attacking reputation and wave after wave foundered against the black wall. It took a fabulous miss-pass thrown from Myler to Diggin to send Saints into the 22, but David Gerard was an unlikely recipient of Spencer's cross-field kick and Newcastle cleared.

The Falcons also received a lucky break just before the half-hour when Tom May's clearance kick just outside his 22 touched a Saint on its way straight into touch giving Newcastle the line out. But the visitors also had the rub of the green following an attacking line out that went through Christian Short's hands. Saints were allowed to throw again and the ball was spread wide.

But again the defence remained impenetrable against the barrage thrown at it by the Saints right up to the break - including a near interception by Spencer - and the score remained Newcastle 13, Saints 0.

Things nearly got worse for the Saints in Newcastle's first attack of the second half. Ben Woods' clean line break saw him run into the visitors' 22. Fortunately he had out-run his support when Sean Lamont caught him and a penalty was conceded by the hosts.

After a brief interlude of Northampton possession Newcastle found themselves back on the front foot thanks to former Saint John Rudd. His powerful break and a penalty conceded by the visiting pack had the Falcons threatening the Saints' line again. But Short's line out steal eased the pressure, as did a Wilkinson kick that bounced into touch in goal.

That's not to say that Saints did not have their fair share of possession. If anything they were guilty of trying to force the play too much with Spencer and Christian Labit both looking to off-load when the support wasn't there to do so.

Robinson was there for Diggin when the full-back made a searing break just before the hour. Saints built up the pressure once more and just as it looked though Falcons' defence had held out again Labit tapped a quick penalty and scored his first Saints try. Spencer converted and Saints were back in the game.

It took some stunning defence to keep them in it a couple of minutes into the final quarter. Noon looked for all the world to have created a try for himself with a powerful run. But he was pulled down inches short, as was one Falcon after another as Saints held firm. Even so a penalty was conceded and Wilkinson took Saints out of bonus point reach.

The visitors, still sensing that a win was a possibility, refused to do likewise with 10 minutes to go. But the nine-point difference was maintained as Newcastle resisted once more. Nor could Saints capitalise on Burke's forward pass 10 metres from his own line. Instead the ball was turned over, Tom May cleared deep and Saints, despite a final Lamont break, played out the rest of the time out of striking range.

Teams:
Newcastle Falcons - Burke (capt); May, Tait (Rudd 39mins), Noon, Flood; Wilkinson, Dickson (Grindal 65mins); McDonnell (Ward 78mins), Thompson (Long 65mins), Ward (Golding 59mins), Sorenson, Buist, Parling, Woods, Wilson (Dowson 59mins).

Northampton Saints - Diggin; Lamont, Reihana (capt), Kydd (Myler 16mins (Going 59mins)), Cohen; Spencer, Robinson; Smith (Budgen 78mins, Hartley (Cortese 65mins), Budgen (Brooks 50mins), Gerard (Browne 65mins), Short, Tupai, Fox (Hopley 73mins), Labit.

Scorers:
Newcastle Falcons - Try: Flood; Con: Wilkinson; Pens: Wilkinson (3).

Northampton Saints - Try: Labit; Con: Spencer.

Attendance:
10,200

TIMELINE:
7mins FALCONS Try Flood Con Wilkinson 7-0
12mins FALCONS Pen Wilkinson 10-0
19mins FALCONS Pen Wilkinson 13-0
HALF-TIME FALCONS 13 SAINTS 0
57mins SAINTS Try Labit Con Spencer 13-7
65mins FALCONS Pen Wilkinson 16-7
FULL-TIME FALCONS 16 SAINTS 7