Two wins out of two with back to back December clashes against the winless Edinburgh to come, form the perfect stage which could now be a delightful but unexpected passage to the quarter finals for the first time. A first half try by Mathew Tait, plus eleven points from the boot of the peerless Matthew Burke, provided the platform, and a Dave Walder penalty put the hosts eight vital points in front before those oh-so-tense final stages.

It’s a fact that if the quarter finals were now, Falcons would be there, with an away tie at Leinster to look forward to. As it is, the return game on the first weekend of January, at a red hot Stade Aime Giral, will probably decide the pool, and determine whether this victory will mean any more than being a terrific afternoon.

To Sunday, and matters present. With the early focus being on the clash at Murrayfield between the Dragons and Edinburgh, it was clear that our heroes would have to front up from the off against the best side in France this season. To that extent, the start was perfection. Matt Burke hoisted a huge garryowen from his full back position, and on commencing the chase was taken out off the ball. Penalty Falcons, and Australia’s second highest points scorer ever put Falcons on the board straightaway. He had a chance to double the lead in the seventh minute, when his compatriot Manny Edmonds infringed, but this time the kick went right from distance. It was to prove costly quite quickly, Edmonds converted his own first chance shortly before the quarter hour to level the scores after Falcons were caught offside.

Something about Europe though has galvanised these players. Maybe the pre-season belief that this was a difficult but eminently winnable group has had something to do with that; maybe the triumph in adversity spirit shown over the last two weekends. Whichever, still these Falcons pushed on. Denying Stevo with a clear run on the line was a knock on (deliberate? Possibly - it was very one-handed) by Pascal Bomati, but the man overlooked by England for Dan Luger assisted greatly to the best move of the match, for it was his kick across the deck to find a safe touch in the USAP half that set off the chain of events that swung the match in Falcons’ favour.

A stolen lineout ball by Craig Hamilton was snaffled in midfield by Hall Charlton, and the progress up the field was irresistible, before Charlton and Walder combined to create a chance for Mathew Tait to run at his man. One inside step, one clean pair of heels, and one comfortable finish later, Tait continued his scoring streak at KP (three consecutive home games now) and provided some breathing space. It was a great finish; if he continues like this, how long before Messrs Robinson and Larder are looking at a Noon-Tait centre pairing for England?

Burkey predictably (and immaculately) kicked the extras, and a deserved 10-3 lead was ours - but, unfortunately, not for long. A whole six minutes in fact, before Edmonds took a quick tap from a penalty for offside, went inside Burke and outside Stevo to become l’USAP’s highest Heineken Cup try-scorer. It was a brilliant piece of thinking and individual skill, spoilt somewhat by him missing the conversion.

For a side at the top of the French Top 16, Perpignan were being out-fought and out-thought. Falcons seemed quicker to the breakdown, and the holy trinity in the back row of McCarthy, Charvis and Dowson were all having truly excellent games. The lead was soon extended after a Noon break was called back for offside and Burke added the three.

Noonie, being watched by Phil Larder in his England capacity, was another having a superb afternoon. He broke clear again just after the half hour, but was munched as he tried to get a pass away. Noon and the forwards managed to recycle the ball for it to be worked back to Dave Walder for a drop at goal. Unfortunately the ball went to the left of the posts, but referee Nigel Whitehouse called it back for a penalty which Burke converted to stretch the lead to eight points.

That was how it stayed until the break (not without some exerted pressure from the Catalans though), and optimism at the interval was relatively high. The start of the second half brought an exchange of missed penalties by the two Aussies, but such was the change in the Perpignan pack you had to do a double take to make sure that they hadn’t made any replacements. The physicality level had certainly gone up, and at times Whitehouse struggled to cope - Tom May kicking through and being clearly taken out off the ball brought nothing, whilst later a theatrical Catalan dive brought a penalty. That said, the lead was maintained, and as Falcons approached the last quarter, looked to have extended the lead into a winning one, when after another stolen lineout from Stretch, the forwards rumbled up to, along, and eventually over the line between the posts. I can say with no word of a lie that Colin Charvis got the ball down for his first Falcons try from my vantage point (directly behind the posts in the North Stand), but Whitehouse angered the home support by first awarding a scrum for the ball being held up, then when Falcons tried to set the scrum for a pushover, awarding USAP a penalty against Micky Ward.

The try then would have killed the game. As it was, Perpignan were still well in it, and a penalty from Giannantonio with 14 minutes to go made the gap just five. At that point, I’d have taken a one point victory, but it would have been nice to deny the Catalans a bonus point. Dave Walder’s penalty, with just seven minutes left on the clock and given for hands being in a ruck, looked like it might do just that.

And then, the Perpignan power was switched on. The previously anonymous Dan Luger moved off his wing and into the centre, and produced an electrifying double break that saw him set off, look to be wrapped up, then emerge from three Falcons with the ball in space. The nearer to the line they got, the more worried you became. Laharrague’s drop goal right on the 80 minutes looked to have secured no more than a bonus point, but Whitehouse had somehow managed to conjure up nearly ten minutes of added time. With the impressive Mike McCarthy now off, and the front row having been shuffled to end up as Peel-Thompson-Ward, Perpignan went for the try that would guarantee at least a draw, and hope that a subsequent conversion would make it a win. With each thrust for the line you just thought that the inevitable would have to be bowed to, and the defence that had been so good all game would be pierced. Mathew Tait produced one tackle well above his weight to deny a try, but the line inched ever closer.

And then, what from the North Stand looked like the score, a USAP drive was stopped by the impeccable Burke somehow stopping the skipper Bernard Goutta when over the line from grounding the ball, and wrapping him up in the process. The cheer was the biggest of the afternoon, and Burke rightly got the slaps of admiration from his colleagues. From the resultant scrum and drive, somehow the ball popped out on the side of the good guys, and it was hurriedly cleared to touch.

Still no whistle.

The lineout, the drive, the whistle for a penalty.

FALCONS BALL!

Sunderland disappeared a further thirty miles down the coast, such was the sigh of relief coming out of KP at that moment! Walder kicked to touch, and the four points and accompanying position at the top of Pool Five was secure.

And then, continuing the theme of last weekend, the players returned to the pitch to celebrate and thank the supporters. As someone said after the game on this site, the result was “beyond awesome”. The French league leaders vanquished by a team that won one league game in five months at the end of last season.

Pick your own hero out. Noonie won the man of the match honours, Burke was superb, the pack fronted up. The half backs were busy, Tait exciting, Luger and Bomati nullified by Stevo and May. For once, everything as spot on - but then that’s twice in just over a week.

Newcastle Falcons European Champions 2005? Maybe not, but the dream lives on - and that’s all we can ask for.