After only two rounds of the Premiership Rugby Academies League, Saints sit at the top of the Northern League, notching up the full quota of points from both fixtures after sealing a 39-19 win at Oundle School over a Newcastle Falcons side stronger then the scoreline suggested.
Saint wasted no time in getting themselves on the scoreboard, Harry Warn going over after the pack pushed a maul close. James Grayson added the first of his four conversions for the afternoon to put Saints seven points ahead after just ten minutes.
Newcastle pushed their hosts and got themselves close to scoring but could not break through the home side’s line and despite having a man in the sin bin, it was to be the home side that got on the scoreboard next.
Grayson crossed the whitewash in the 26th minute and though he sent his own conversion wide, redeemed himself moments later with a successful penalty kick to send the game into half time at 15-0 to Saints.
The home side were first off the mark in the second half too, with Jack West dotting down at the back of a driving maul, with Grayson adding the extras.
Newcastle, yet to get a point on the board, pushed on and found a gap in Saints line, which the away side’s on-form full back, Kyle Kitney, exploited to score shortly before leaving the field with an injury.
Saints responded, however, and sent Joe Wallace over in the corner off the back of a good attack.
Again, Newcastle rallied and it was not long before Tom Marshal went over the whitewash, replacement scrum-half Chidera Obonna adding the extras.
Grayson sent another penalty through the uprights before Zac Birrel ran a snaking line through Newcastle’s defence to score Saints fifth. With Grayson in the sin bin, Joe Green stepped up to convert and duly did so.
All was not over and Newcastle scored again through Josh Hodge for their third and went looking for the try bonus point in the game’s dying minute. Despite getting close, Saints managed to hold them out and ended the game with a 39-19 win.
TEAMS
SAINTS Green; Segun, Cappaert, Strachan, Slightholme, Grayson, Warn; Wacockecoke, Ma’asi, Painter, West, Coles, Britton, Wallace, Davies
Subs – Riseman, Thompson, Charalambous, Larkin, Finch, Creighton, Tupai, Birrell
FALCONS Kitney; McNee, Reece, Wilson, Passman, Haydon Wood, Kelemeti; Martin, Newstead, Grant, Farrar, Montgomery, Gray, Hutchinson, Marshall
Subs – Clements, Smith, Amir, Hayton, Adamson, Pickering, Obonna, Hodge
TIMELINE
8mins SAINTS Try Warn Con Grayson 7-0
15mins SAINTS Yellow card Wacokecoke 7-0
26mins SAINTS Try Grayson 12-0
31mins SAINTS Pen Grayson 15-0
HALF TIME Saints 15 Falcons 0
39mins SAINTS Try West Con Grayson 22-0
43mins FALCONS Try Kitney Con Haydon Wood 22-7
47mins SAINTS Try Wallace Con Grayson 29-7
49mins SAINTS Yellow card Grayson 29-7
52mins FALCONS Try Marshall Con Obonna 29-14
55mins SAINTS Pen Grayson 32-14
62mins SAINTS Try Birrel Con Green 39-14
65mins FALCONS Try Hodge 39-19
FULL TIME Saints 39 Falcons 19
