Debut
Video Nasty
Debut
By Leipziger
November 12 2006
The Falcons lost a forgettable match with Harlequins on Friday night, with the visitors scoring both tries to a penalty in a 3-14 win in front of a 10,000 crowd and the Sky TV cameras at Kingston Park. It wasn’t pretty on Friday, and it didn’t look much better on the video.
Debut
November 12 2006
The Falcons lost a forgettable match with Harlequins on Friday night, with the visitors scoring both tries to a penalty in a 3-14 win in front of a 10,000 crowd and the Sky TV cameras at Kingston Park. It wasn’t pretty on Friday, and it didn’t look much better on the video.
Home coach John Fletcher threw Academy fly-half Gavin Beasley into the team for his first senior appearance with Jonny Wilkinson injured and Toby Flood away with England, though Loki Crichton was the first of the new signings to arrive, taking up a place on the bench. Jason Oakes returned from suspension and Mark Mayerhofler from injury.
Captain Matthew Burke kicked the Falcons ahead after just a few minutes after Mathew Tait, making his 50th competitive appearance, had charged down a Quins kick and the hosts made ground. Burke was then the savoir as David Strettle kicked forward but the full-back banged the ball into touch almost on his own try-line.
Harlequins attacked well as the Falcons missed several first tackles, Strettle and Ugo Monye both making yards, and Monye crossed in the tenth minute on the far left but the referee decided that Mike Brown’s pass had gone forward. The first try was not long in coming though as John Rudd spilled a Harlequins chip and Strettle collected for a simple score which Adrian Jarvis converted.
Beasley was having a decent debut at fly-half, at least kicking well, and attempted a chip through from inside the Harlequins 22 which came to nothing, but it was the visitors who were making more play and Nick Easter drove to the line only to be pulled back for a forward pass. And it was Easter who scored his side’s second try after 32 minutes as he took a pass and went through a gap in front of the posts, Jarvis converting.
Tom May made a run down the right but lost the ball forward in the tackle, and the hosts didn’t really threaten and went into half time 3-14 down.
The Falcons made their intentions clear by rolling strongly and then sending up a huge Beasley kick to get forward at the start of the second half, and Tait also got himself away following a quick throw-in but the referee stopped the game and in the resulting set-piece the ball was lost. However, Newcastle were beginning to get some momentum.
Burke and Rudd combined to set up in the left and after Rudd knocked through, a fight for the ball on the line brought play to replacement Robbie Morris in the middle, but the attack was ended when Mark Mayerhofler received a forward pass. New Pacific signing Crichton replaced Beasley on the hour as the Falcons attempted to turn their possession into points, but Harlequins managed to carve a way back into the match.
Gavin Duffy made a good break through the middle, and eventually the Quins won a lineout almost on the Newcastle line and the hosts pulled down from the throw. Jarvis however missed the relatively simple penalty, as both sides lacked the cutting edge to score more points. The anonymous Mayerhofler was replaced with Joe Shaw as John Fletcher used all of his options to try to secure a fourth successive home win.
Burke and Lee Dickson forced a penalty in the away as the game moved towards the final ten minutes, but in a loose pass in the wet disrupted the attack. Rudd and Shaw made another break as the time ticked away, and Crichton kicked for the lineout in the Quins 22. Tait attempted to run through, but again Harlequins scrabbled a turnover and a monster kick from Brown drove the Falcons back. The visitors were content to run down time in rucks as Newcastle were left without even a bonus point to show from a game which the Falcons will hope to forget quickly.
Captain Matthew Burke kicked the Falcons ahead after just a few minutes after Mathew Tait, making his 50th competitive appearance, had charged down a Quins kick and the hosts made ground. Burke was then the savoir as David Strettle kicked forward but the full-back banged the ball into touch almost on his own try-line.
Harlequins attacked well as the Falcons missed several first tackles, Strettle and Ugo Monye both making yards, and Monye crossed in the tenth minute on the far left but the referee decided that Mike Brown’s pass had gone forward. The first try was not long in coming though as John Rudd spilled a Harlequins chip and Strettle collected for a simple score which Adrian Jarvis converted.
Beasley was having a decent debut at fly-half, at least kicking well, and attempted a chip through from inside the Harlequins 22 which came to nothing, but it was the visitors who were making more play and Nick Easter drove to the line only to be pulled back for a forward pass. And it was Easter who scored his side’s second try after 32 minutes as he took a pass and went through a gap in front of the posts, Jarvis converting.
Tom May made a run down the right but lost the ball forward in the tackle, and the hosts didn’t really threaten and went into half time 3-14 down.
The Falcons made their intentions clear by rolling strongly and then sending up a huge Beasley kick to get forward at the start of the second half, and Tait also got himself away following a quick throw-in but the referee stopped the game and in the resulting set-piece the ball was lost. However, Newcastle were beginning to get some momentum.
Burke and Rudd combined to set up in the left and after Rudd knocked through, a fight for the ball on the line brought play to replacement Robbie Morris in the middle, but the attack was ended when Mark Mayerhofler received a forward pass. New Pacific signing Crichton replaced Beasley on the hour as the Falcons attempted to turn their possession into points, but Harlequins managed to carve a way back into the match.
Gavin Duffy made a good break through the middle, and eventually the Quins won a lineout almost on the Newcastle line and the hosts pulled down from the throw. Jarvis however missed the relatively simple penalty, as both sides lacked the cutting edge to score more points. The anonymous Mayerhofler was replaced with Joe Shaw as John Fletcher used all of his options to try to secure a fourth successive home win.
Burke and Lee Dickson forced a penalty in the away as the game moved towards the final ten minutes, but in a loose pass in the wet disrupted the attack. Rudd and Shaw made another break as the time ticked away, and Crichton kicked for the lineout in the Quins 22. Tait attempted to run through, but again Harlequins scrabbled a turnover and a monster kick from Brown drove the Falcons back. The visitors were content to run down time in rucks as Newcastle were left without even a bonus point to show from a game which the Falcons will hope to forget quickly.
Bookmark or share this story with:
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon