KO
We’re underway! Godman kicks off, Saints playing towards the Sturtridge end.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
1min
Great early foraging work from Clark and the Saints have the chance to attack. Almost an interception but Shortland knocks on and Saints scrum. Brilliant work from Collins under Myler’s high ball and the winger flies away from Cato, only stopped in the corner just metres from his first Saints try.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
4mins
Another chance for the Saints to get the ball wide and with Collins this time well marked, Wilson steps inside and offloads. Doesn’t quite go to plan but there’s a penalty advantage coming on the other side and Myler goes to the corner.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
6mins
Maul held up and Newcastle have a scrum and the chance to clear. Saints knocked back to outside the 22 but with the ball and another chance to run at the visitors. A second penalty goes to the corner and after athletic lineout work from Lawes a third Falcons offence means a word from referee Richards in Welch’s ear.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
9mins
Aggressive play from the Saints who go into the corner once again and having been awarded a scrum from the resulting lineout maul, it’s another penalty. Newcastle survive a re-scrum though and Collins can’t keep hold of Dickson’s close range offload.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
14mins
Newcastle press forward, Cato with some neat footwork to make ground and Saints have to scramble. The wing goes close again but Lawes smashes Godman in midfield and Elliott recovers the fly half’s dink through to launch Saints on the counter.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
17mins
Still no score, but no shortage of chances with both sides spending prolonged periods inside the opposition’s 22. A break in play allows a Falcons player to get some treatment before their put-in to a 20m scrum.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
18mins
Cato again giving the Saints line something to think about but like before the Saints are able to recover possession on the ground for Wilson’s hurried clearance. Both sides standing strong in defence.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
21mins
Worrying looking fall for Foden who rises highest to tap back a high kick. He’s up after a bit of treatment though and Saints have a scrum after a ricochet off a Newcastle hand. Dickson injects some pace with a quick tap but it wasn’t from the mark and Collins’ sprint is halted.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
25mins
Still nothing in this game and having seen their own attack end in a penalty turnover, Saints get one back, Dickinson superbly over a ruck allowing Myler to find the Falcons 22. Foden sees space behind but it's well cleared up by Tait and Saints have to attack from deep again.
Lovely kick through from Burrell is scooped up by Elliott but with an offload inside, Burrell can't quite scoop up from his bootlaces. Still scoreless at the Gardens!
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
28mins
Pressure well and truly on Newcastle scrumming 5m from their own line and Waller is proving far too much for Tomaszczyk. He might have had a week off but the prop has picked up where he left off and gives Saints a great position from which to mount a charge for the first points of the afternoon.
SAINTS 0 FALCONS 0
30mins
Newcastle still keeping Saints at bay but by illegal means and Del Fava sees yellow. We finally have some points on the board as Myler guides over the simple resulting penalty.
SAINTS 3 FALCONS 0
32mins
Blair reads Collins’ chip and chase superbly and goes scything through a gap, Saints having to scramble again. It’s another chance that goes begging for the visitors though when they pick up a loose ball offside and Saints are back into the Falcons’ half.
SAINTS 3 FALCONS 0
34mins
Saints forwards doing much of the grunt work before Wilson makes another half-break with Collins outside him. Newcastle concede an umpteenth penalty of the day at the breakdown and Myler successfully doubles the lead from 22m out.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
36mins
Saints make a mess of getting out of their own 22 but just as it looks like Newcastle will have an opportunity to put points on the board the hosts dismantle a scrum for a turnover penalty. Real area of strength for the Saints today but when they press forward the familiar blast of referee Richards’ whistle signals another Falcons penalty at the breakdown.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
HT
A bit of a rushed drop goal attempt bounces back from the post pad and Foden thumps to touch. Time for one last Newcastle lineout though with a knock on, that’s half-time.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
HT
It hasn’t been as drab a half as the scoreline might suggest, but certainly a pretty even one. Saints, with their dominance of the set piece have probably had the better of the chances and stuck their six points on the board with Falcons a man down.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
44mins
Brilliant counter running from Foden and Haywood but when the former gets it back on halfway he rather forces an offload towards Collins and Newcastle recover possession. Saints’ defence is still looking good though and it goes without saying, if they don’t concede, they can’t lose this game!
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
47mins
Saints splinter the Newcastle pack on their own ball but referee Richards sees no offence and the hosts instead have to battle just to earn another scrum. It’s painfully slow with the resets but at the fourth time of asking it’s a Saints penalty. Cue ironic cheers.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
51mins
A swift moving Saints attack goes right but Elliott is forced into touch as Newcastle continue to contain the hosts. Next time up an overlap develops on the right but Falcons defenders drift smartly and force Dickinson over the whitewash.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
54mins
Saints go to touch with another penalty and look to maul from 10m out. Newcastle stem the tide and when it comes back to Haywood the hooker knocks on in contact. Admirable defending once more from the Falcons.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
57mins
Chargedown from Lawes but in their haste to nick the ball 5m from Newcastle’s line Saints go off their feet and another chance slips by.
SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
58mins
Just what the Saints needed! Lovely line picked by Elliott on the counter and when he feeds Wilson, the Kiwi produces a super finish from 30m or so out, beating two defenders and rolling over to ground in the south-west corner. Myler slips and the extras fall short.
SAINTS 11 FALCONS 0
62mins
Saints look to have been sparked into life by that score and when Dickson wraps around at speed the ball goes wide for Foden to have another run. Newcastle might shove the full back into touch but Saints are now well in control of the territory and this match. That will be Foden’s last contribution as he is replaced by Waldouck.
SAINTS 11 FALCONS 0
63mins
A bruising carry by Lawes and Waller hits a gap nicely before offloading to Haywood. Again it doesn’t quite work out and 8m out they are shunted out.
SAINTS 11 FALCONS 0
64mins
Newcastle go too risky with the lineout on their own line and Burrell hares up with a tackle that forces the ball from Godman’s grasp. Waldouck was in attendance too and with the Burrda Stand cheering for a try, referee Richards asks the question of the TMO.
SAINTS 11 FALCONS 0
64mins
After a long, long look the TMO says… TRY! Burrell the man who got the ball down. Myler converts as van Velze replaces Day. Excellent platform for the Saints to go for the bonus point now.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
66mins
Newcastle ring the changes as Saints also make two more replacements - Nutley and Ethan for Waller and Alex. Newcastle have a lineout in the Saints 22.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
68mins
Saints may be well clear, but the Falcons almost claw their way back into it as Fury cuts a gap and offloads. Doesn’t go to hand though and Saints scrum 5m from their own try line. Free kick is cleared to touch by Myler.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
71mins
Another scrum penalty goes to touch for the Saints but with Wilson and then Dowson making ground the ball doesn’t quite go to hand for Collins. Frustrating, but still time to make their dominance of this second half really count. Alex Day and Glenn Dickson are on for Lee Dickson and Wilson. McMillan is also on for Haywood.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
75mins
This game, unfortunately, doesn’t look like catching light for the Saints. Clegg’s penalty misses touch but as the Saints run it back, they concede at the breakdown and it’s Newcastle who are attacking instead as the clock winds down.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
77mins
Delightful touch from Myler whose chip is gathered in by van Velze. Saints put one in behind again and Collins pulls his man into touch 15m out. There might just be time for a late Saints surge.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
79mins
Knock on all but ends the game as time winds down in the scrum again. Wilson is man of the match and rightly so - it was his moment of magic that sealed this for the Saints and an impressive all round performance for him in midfield as well.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
FT
Game over and a good win for the Saints, particularly given the number of faces that were re-integrated this afternoon. Far from the flowing, high scoring standards they’ve set at Franklin’s Gardens this year but the most important thing is the four points in the bag and the satisfaction of a clean sheet.
SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
TIMELINE
35mins SAINTS Pen Myler 6-0
HALF-TIME SAINTS 6 FALCONS 0
64mins SAINTS Try Burrell Con Myler 18-0
FULL-TIME SAINTS 18 FALCONS 0
AVIVA MAN OF THE MATCH: James Wilson
SAINTS - Foden, Elliott, Wilson, Burrell, Collins, Myler, L Dickson; A Waller, Haywood, Ma'afu, Lawes, C Day, Clark, Dowson (capt), Dickinson
Reps - McMillan, E Waller, Mercey, van Velze, Nutley, A Day, G Dickson, Waldouck
FALCONS - Tait; Cato, Barnes, Powell, Shortland; Godman, Blair; Vickers, Lawson, Tomaszczyk, Del Fava, McKenzie, Mayhew, Welch (capt), Hogg
Reps - McGuigan, Shiells, Wilson, MacLeod, York, Fury, Clegg, Fitzpatrick
ATT: 12,415
REFEREE: Dean Richards