Newcastle is not a happy camp at present, yet unless you have seen them play this season it is very hard to judge them due to the golden rule of lies, damned lies and statistics. They lost to London Irish 8-24, which on the surface is not great, but not precisely apocalyptic either. It may even be possible to say that a team robbed of their stars by circumstance and cruel misfortune put up a brave fight against one of the most incisive attacking teams in their league.

However, anyone who has read a fan’s assessment of the match will read a grim tale. They write of flat attacks, un-enterprising moves, and conceding territory. There is a mixture of disbelief and distress, with no sign of relief, when they muse that the score line flatters the Falcons, as Irish squandered chance after chance to claim their fifth league point of the night.

However, the view of an impassioned supporter is often as misleading, when memory is distorted by bitter disappointment at defeat and the mind faintly befuddled by Guinness. On that note however, they were still there, and that does count for something, and disappointment does not turn a battling performance into an abject spectacle in even the most fickle and emotional supporter’s eyes.

Some may argue that the gates never lie. For their latest home match, the number of Newcastle supporters over 5000 could be counted on the fingers of your hands. It is fair to argue that in these dark financial days attendances are warped figures, and the problem is not just Newcastle’s as Rugby Union still struggles to make an impact in the north of England. However, the harsh truth is that fewer people are now going to see the Falcons, and the sullen quiet of a smaller crowd is so often the indicator of a wilting team.

Newcastle, who were relegation favourites at the start of the season, and with Bristol steadily wobbling to their feet, it has to be said, still are for now at least, will be commencing battle with one arm tied behind their back. A tumultuous off season has meant that the club parted company with two of its attacking dynamos in Matthew Tait and Toby Flood. An equally unfriendly early season has seen Newcastle’s rock Jonny Wilkinson, (whom, despite the waning of his International star, is still the foundation on which his club stands); succumb to the physical exertion of his early career once again. It has also seen their last major international light get snuffed out until Christmas, as Carl Hayman finds himself on the physio table.

However, there are endless clichés that warn us that the ubiquitous predators are most dangerous when they are cornered. Maybe the same can be said of Falcons. For indeed, a number of their performances this year have been stubborn and battling. They do have wins to their name, and are still a potential banana skin. Every team in this league must be taken seriously and there are no easy wins. This must be borne in mind doubly so by a team that itself is still tottering slightly as it heads up the path to form.

The Warriors have had a stuttering start to the season as the swagger and belief of the end of last season has faded, and the momentum with it, during the off-season. The victory of last week, whilst heartening to all Worcester fans still has left questions unanswered.

The start of the season was dogged by an injury crisis that, with no measure of hyperbole, tore through the very heart of the squad. Some of the rocks of the team for the past 3 or 4 seasons, Sanderson, Rasmussen and Horstmann to name but a few were all affected. Some young men from the academy have found the opportunity to prove themselves, and whilst they have performed ably, the return of the established and experienced names may prove the kick start to the Warriors season.

As it stands, Warriors still have much to prove though. After their end to the season last year, there was a good amount of expectation on the shoulders of the players to continue that form over to the new season. However, they are still left with a point to prove after a shaky start to the season which until last weekend yielded only one win from 5 premiership matches. The second at Sale was not pretty, but it did a job. It was an important any which way win, which had to be ground out by hook or by crook. Therefore this game is another step on the road towards nurturing the self belief and cohesion that is needed to win consistently in the top flight.

The Warriors are expected to win on Friday evening, in no small part due to the absence of Hayman, Wilkinson and the consistently underrated Jamie Noon. Due to these notable deficiencies, there are few places that spring to mind where the Falcons can say they have a man advantage over Worcester.

Much is written about players like Tane Tu'ipulotu, as for reasons that this writer at least is somewhat unsure of, the Super 14 has managed to garner a reputation for producing completely unstoppable players, and that if your skills were forged there you will be too hot to handle in the Guinness Premiership. However it has to be said this is (unsurprisingly) untrue. Like many Pacific Islanders he is strong, and has looked ‘canny’ (the best word I have heard describe him) but nothing hugely special. However, on that note, this will not be a game for shrinking violets in the middle.

All of the expectation will be with Worcester this Friday night. They still have much to prove to both their own fans, themselves and the rest of the league, and they will hope to take another step towards stability with a win. But from the other side of the fence, what have Newcastle left to lose? But more importantly, with another defeat notched up, will Worcester face a team starting to worry that it is forgetting how to win? Time will tell.

Worcester by 10.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

Worcester Warriors Poll