It had been said that last season’s visit to Reading was a watershed, being as it was an absolute trouncing before six successive league victories, but still it was well over three years since we had beaten London Irish at all, and in a fresh team only three players (Mark Sorenson, Danny Williams and Tim Swinson) retained their starting places from the Anglo-Welsh farce last Sunday.

It was a clear statement of where our priorities lie, and in the joy and beer of yesterday I think most people agreed Steve Bates had called recent team selections, if not gameplans, correctly. 

The first half was played out mostly between the 22s, both teams’ forwards trying to battle through each other and it showed on the half-time scoreboard.  Ryan Lamb and Peter Hewat missed early penalties, both kicks falling short, before Jimmy Gopperth kicked the opening points to a small background noise, which may have actually helped.

Two further penalties put us nine points ahead before Lamb managed a successful kick.  Try-scoring chances had been few in the first half, one kick through may have yielded something for us if Alex Tait had not slowed down once he reached ten or 15 metres out, while the Falcons also needed to defend well on probably Irish’s only dangerous venture into our 22.

Just a couple of minutes before half time, referee Martin Fox gave a penalty to Irish on the left (from our point of view) of the 22, before bringing it back over to the right and reversing the decision for reasons unknown to me as I couldn’t remember the ball having been there during that spell of play.  No matter, another three points and taking half-time we went in 3-12 up! 

Now bolstered by the arrival of the Falcons from up north, the small away following in the south-east corner of the Madejski did their best to cheer the Falcons on through a second half in which Irish dominated for the first 25 minutes, and as in such situations there is always a feeling that one try will lead to more.

Following Jamie Lennard’s drop-goal, Elvis Seveali’i (according to the big screen) or Chris Hala’ufia (according to the internet) broke over to score the first try. With just one point in it now, all eyes focused on Hewat… whose conversion went wide!!

There were still 25 minutes for us to hold out, but if ever the Gods looked like they were wearing black it was yesterday.  Eventually the Falcons made it out of our half and had a good spell in the Irish 22, Charlie Amesbury missing the overlapping Tait in one of our best chances, while James Hudson was clotheslined while running under the posts.  Luckily for Irish, he didn’t have the ball.

We had to be content with a fifth penalty by Gopperth, but four points is a much healthier lead than one, and with five minutes left all eyes were on the clock.  Finally, Irish won a penalty and had to go for the lineout, and when the referee gave a scrum the away players and fans erupted in ecstacy! 

From the sublime to the ridiculous to the, well not exactly sublime, but enthralling nonetheless, in just a few games, what a rollercoaster we go through with this team.

This was, like many Falcons wins, the intensity and competitiveness of Premiership rugby at its best, with our boys never thinking they were beaten and keeping their heads up even while being dominated in the second half.

It’s almost a day ago now so there’s probably not a great deal to be said that hasn’t already, except that it must be a fair while since we’ve won five away league games in one calendar year (there are always obscure records to be set).

If this team is now really starting to come together, we might look forward to two more wins before the Euro starts again – and what a turnaround that would be from a year ago!

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• Falcons' efforts praised
• Nilled at Irish again
• (Almost) White-washed in white