Destroyed
By Leipziger
September 22 2008
Our Falcons dropped to tenth in the Premiership yesterday after receiving what could only be termed as a lesson in clinical but also at times rugby by a Saracens side who, at least for 75 minutes, completely destroyed them. Unfortunately, after the great second half against Northampton, yesterday it was back to watching the Falcons we know and, hard as it is at times, love.
September 22 2008
Our Falcons dropped to tenth in the Premiership yesterday after receiving what could only be termed as a lesson in clinical but also at times rugby by a Saracens side who, at least for 75 minutes, completely destroyed them. Unfortunately, after the great second half against Northampton, yesterday it was back to watching the Falcons we know and, hard as it is at times, love.
And what was supposed to be a match report is going to turn into a disorganised rant.
Get my one positive out of the way – Mark Sorenson had an OK game.
The first half saw Saracens dominate but unable to break the tryline, with Andy Perry making a try-saving tackle under the posts and the hosts having to be content with four penalties and a drop-goal from Glen Jackson. We persistently infringed, and even if referee Dean Richards' decisions weren't always spot-on, the fact is we can't blame the half-time 15-0 deficit on that as surely the players must learn what is going to be pinged and what isn't in order to keep on the right side of the law.
It of course didn't help that, shortly after going gung-ho into a tackle on halfway and letting the attacker get away from him, Alex Tait had to be substituted on the quarter-hour for Ollie Phillips.
But I'm sure we could count on one hand (without using the thumb) the amount of times we managed to get into the home 22 in the first half, with aimless kicks being returned with interest by a pacy Saracens back-line, and the lineout an absolute shambles. Honestly, there were times when our forwards looked like they were just running around randomly, and then when the ball landed at the back of the line, there were no away players there to gather it.
Strangely, after half-time Saracens returned to the field first, and as we awaited the return of the Falcons, I briefly wondered whether they had decided not to bother with the second half. After all, they might as well not have bothered with the first half.
Surely it could only get better in the second half? How many times have we thought that? Occasionally it does, more often it doesn't, and yesterday it just got even worse as two quick tries from Kameli Ratuvou and Kevin Sorrell, the latter after Ratuvou took a high crossfield kick on the left in his own half and made a great run upfield. If the Falcons watch the video of this game back, they will see exactly how to use the kick from hand effectively. I wonder whether they will finally learn?
The missed conversions have us some respite, until on the hour, Phil Dowson and Ed Williamson were sin-binned within seconds of each other and Hugh Vyvyan scored the third try. At this point, two Falcons fans stood up and walked away. I was very tempted to join them.
Further tries from Rodd Penney and Gordon Ross completed the rout, making it 44-0 with five minutes left. Only a last-ditch tackle from Jonny Wilkinson had prevented the 50 in the end, and it was he and Tom May who got us on the scoresheet with two late converted tries.
However, at 44-0 I was actually thinking it might be better if Saracens got the 50 and their clean sheet, as 44-14 looks better (not much better of course, but better) than 51-0 or similar. Perhaps then Mr Thompson would wake up and see that not only are we making no progress under Steve Bates (yes, it is YOU who is blind Thumper, not us!) and that we are getting worse quickly. Or maybe not.
We have won FOUR league games in 2008, and TWO since February. That is two wins in 13 Premiership games, and two wins in 13 matches overall under Bates.
Does anyone think our style of play has changed at all? All I was seeing yesterday was the occasional run to get us excited, before the rest of the time the ball was brainlessly hoofed to Richard Haughton or whoever was under it to have it returned to us.
What happened to the running rugby with which we beat Northampton? It was almost like they were experimenting in the second half last week. “Right, you can win playing like that, so why can't you bl**dy win playing like we want you to play?”
If we had beaten Northampton playing our usual tripe, then fair enough. But honestly, I just don't understand what is going on. It's making me very angry. I've never left a match before full-time. I would be surprised if I've ever felt like it more than once or twice before this season. Now I have two weeks in a row.
For the love of God, please just give a running game a chance. Or crash your way to the Bristol line on Friday. But just keep the ball! More than anything else I and every other fan wants a win – but heaven forbid if we do lose, please let us see that you are at least trying to think of something new, not praying in vain that this 'style' of play is going to get us any higher than mid-table. Because at this rate, it's may not get us any higher than Division 1 next season.
Disorganised and angry rant over.
Bookmark or share this story with:
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
StumbleuponRelated Articles:
Destroyed
Posted by: FalconsRugby.org.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 15:42
Destroyed
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Dr. B. (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:16
I echo everything you've said there Leipy. My only consolation from yesterday is that it didn't actually cost me money to get in to the game. If it had, I'd be severely hacked off.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: TouchLine (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:24
I was amazed how controlled you were on the commentary Doc. In contrast Smithy Senior seemed to completely lose it at one time
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: steve1888 (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:31
Need to sort the bloody lineout too it was shocking and yep keep possesion of the ball is a must.
They need to write off yesterdays nightmare and get focused on the must win game on friday and give the fans the win they deserve and need.
They need to write off yesterdays nightmare and get focused on the must win game on friday and give the fans the win they deserve and need.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Dr. B. (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:31
Smithy wears his heart on his sleeve. I couldn't really hear his side of things as he was sat facing slightly away from me and I wasn't wearing headphones.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: TouchLine (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:38
From the commentary it wasn't so much as our lineout being bad but rather than Eddie Jones has used the ELVS, and no doubt with input from Borthwick, come up with a defensive lineout strategy that proved very effective. They were stacking every lineout and with jumpers like Jack, Vyvian and Borthwick I would imagine all but the very best lineouts would struggle against that.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: lebigmac69 (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:41
They said on the radio that they had 8 men in the lineout to our 5, as per the ELVs allow. Why did we only have 5? Was our backrow moochng about in midfield? If we're getting mullered in there why didn't we stack it as much as possible?
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Dr. B. (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 20:43
There were glimpses of ambition with our lineout formation; often, Williamson would line up at second receiver and take a flat pass at speed in an attempt to break the line.
Unfortunately, Sarries' lineout was immaculate for the most part. Vyv, Borthwick and Jack caused too many problems for our jumpers.
Unfortunately, Sarries' lineout was immaculate for the most part. Vyv, Borthwick and Jack caused too many problems for our jumpers.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: DGNTR (IP Logged)
Date: 22/09/2008 21:44
Miracle needed for Friday boys, enjoy!!
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Rupes (IP Logged)
Date: 23/09/2008 08:32
as a Sarries fan, just one comment. You haven't (for whatever reason, probably because it's just expected of him!) picked up the contribution of Jonny. He was head and shoulders the best player on your team, his professional pride as much as anything else carrying him through the 80 mins playing at a level above anyone else in a white shirt. The tackle he made on Ratuvou was superb (we didn't realise he was that quick!), his lines of running don't get any worse either - hence the two tries for you at the end.
I wish you all the best for the rest of the season, Kingston Park is always a good away trip and we (our merry band of travellers) look forward to visiting you in February.
I wish you all the best for the rest of the season, Kingston Park is always a good away trip and we (our merry band of travellers) look forward to visiting you in February.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Trisha (IP Logged)
Date: 23/09/2008 16:39
You could be right Rupes. It would appear that Jonny is more likely to be criticised on this board than praised.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: TouchLine (IP Logged)
Date: 23/09/2008 16:49
Really? He received nothing but praise for his performance against Saints.
He's come back from injury as the player he was at his peak. If it takes a Percy hairstlye to do then fine.
Perhaps Rudd and Phillips should grow their hair and get rid of those ridiculous gloves.
He's come back from injury as the player he was at his peak. If it takes a Percy hairstlye to do then fine.
Perhaps Rudd and Phillips should grow their hair and get rid of those ridiculous gloves.
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Mally (IP Logged)
Date: 23/09/2008 16:51
No one has probably picked up on JW's contribution as the good stuff was by far outweighed by the shite kicking game.
But yes that tackle on Ratuvou was superb - and JW was very quick! And his try was a good one.
But on the whole he had a far better game against Saints last week. (As did the entire team)
But yes that tackle on Ratuvou was superb - and JW was very quick! And his try was a good one.
But on the whole he had a far better game against Saints last week. (As did the entire team)
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: Leipziger (IP Logged)
Date: 23/09/2008 16:51
I didn't think he was that good on Sunday to be honest. Tackling was decent but his kicking from hand was as awful as everyone else's, and overall he didn't do as much as against Northampton
Re: Destroyed
Posted by: TouchLine (IP Logged)
Date: 24/09/2008 14:44
Quote:Steve Bates, the Newcastle coach, was more concerned about his side's ho-hum performance in the first half than with the Saracens points-fest in the second, and you could see his logic. Then he said to his audience: "I don't share your pessimism about us as a team." At which point, the logic evaporated.
Newcastle were spellbindingly dire.
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS
More Newcastle Falcons headlines
Newcastle Falcons latest threads
Newcastle Falcons Poll
