Looking at the 'grass', I can see why it's supposed be more suitable for fast rugby in the wet than real turf, and indeed the two young sides did put on an attractive show.

Our Falcons began well and from pressure on the away line won a penalty to go 3-0 up, though Sale almost equalised straight away, their own kick going wide.

The Newcastle outside centre extended the lead, taking a ball at close range after a break from our outstanding fly-half for the opening try. Sale almost scored from a lineout, but for some reason the play was pulled back for pulling down on out part.

The Sale full-back dropped with the line beckoning, but their first try arrived just before the half hour from a huge kick across the pitch that found the left winger in space, and he scored easily, a penalty soon leveling the match at 8-8.

The full-back then got on the scoresheet himself, running in unopposed from a scrum for a converted try, and though the Falcons then broke into the Sale 22 for the first time in a while, it unfortunately happened to be half time.

Our boys dominated the opening minutes of the second half too, reducing the deficit to four points with a penalty, but Sale soon re-asserted themselves. The Manc scrum-half, a mouthy lad possibly of Pacific descent, was particularly impressive, standing out for his play as well as the red sleeves under his white jersey.

Sale's right winger ran in their third try from 25 metres, the conversion again going over, despite the Falcons having a succession of scrums on the right which saw the away six hobble off with an unfortunate knee injury.

Rugby can be a cruel game and it spares nobody just because they are young, and with the game slipping away we had a chance with a lineout in the away 22. The ball seemed to be heading for black hands, but it was caught by a sudden gust of wind and fell on the Sale side to be stolen.

The last ten minutes saw the Falcons as the better team, and as the scrum went to 7v7 I'm not sure why Sale only had seven forwards on), our replacement no. 8 was ordered back the now mandatory five metres.

He must have been angry, as he took the first pass and stormed over the line for a great try. The conversion took the score to 18-22, but it wasn't to be enough.

Sale missed a penalty before scoring a final, unconverted try with almost the final play.

The Falcons' fly-half was for me the best home player (sorry, I didn't know the names of any players at all), and although the result wasn't great, the fact is that at least from a supporter's view, the only Falcons team that has to win matches is the first team.

Sale has a rare win in Newcastle, but it'd be the only one they'd get that day. Or so we hoped...

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