Irish v Falcons Preview
By Leipziger
November 19 2004
Whether you call it the Mad Stad, the Majestic Stadium or by its normal name the Madejski Stadium, it is one of Europe’s top rugby venues and we’ll be there this coming Sunday.
November 19 2004
Whether you call it the Mad Stad, the Majestic Stadium or by its normal name the Madejski Stadium, it is one of Europe’s top rugby venues and we’ll be there this coming Sunday.
Our Falcons travel to Berkshire to take on London Irish in what is always an eagerly-awaited away trip to the huge blue bowl in Reading. The ground is situated in an industrial estate, dominating the skyline beside the motorway. It is a new stadium, having opened in 1998, and holds both good and bad memories for our club. Our first visit on September 5th 1998 was actually to play Richmond, in our first match of the defence of the Championship. We lost 41-29, but avenged that by beating Richmond 3-20 away in the Tetley’s Bitter Cup Semi-final the following April.
Against Irish in Reading we have won twice, in 2001/02 18-22 and a year ago 15-19 as David Walder repeated Jonny Wilkinson’s trick from the day before with a late drop goal. In between those victories, we went down 20-0 at Christmas 2002. In the last three seasons we have played Irish three times in cup matches at Kingston Park, winning twice and losing once, and winning the trophy after each victory.
However, I’d like to look back on a chilly evening in April 2000, when, five matches from the end of a dreadful Millennium season, the Falcons had a chance to ensure that they would not be relegated from the Premiership. Before a crowd of just 2,880, we lined up: P Massey, S Legg, J Noon, T May (M Shaw), V Tuigamala, J Wilkinson, G Armstrong, I Peel, M Howe (R Horton), M Hurter, S Grimes, D Weir, S O’Neill (J Rule), R Arnold (H Vyvyan), R Beattie. We completed the job 28-23, with tries from May, Inga and Armstrong, with Jonny converting two and kicking three penalties. Personnel-wise, the game was also significant for two of the players - Mike Howe started his first Falcons match at hooker having transferred from Irish mid-season, and the London Irish openside flanker was a gentleman by the name of Andrew Mower, our recently retired Australian, getting his first taste of Kingston Park before moving north a few months later.
We have played Irish more than any other club in national competitive rugby, our 27-meeting record reading as follows:
|
20/2/88 |
North Road |
Courage League Division 2 |
L14-22 |
|
19/11/88 |
Sunbury |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 7-35 |
|
18/11/89 |
Percy Park (H) |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 6-27 |
|
20/4/91 |
Sunbury |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 16-24 |
|
20/11/93 |
Kingston Park |
Courage League Division 1 |
L 9-13 |
|
9/4/94 |
Sunbury |
Courage League Division 1 |
W 19-17 |
|
5/11/94 |
Kingston Park |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 9-15 |
|
29/4/95 |
Sunbury |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 22-32 |
|
4/11/95 |
Kingston Park |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 19-23 |
|
27/4/96 |
Sunbury |
Courage League Division 2 |
L 28-29 |
|
1/11/97 |
Sunbury |
Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 |
W 35-19 |
|
11/1/98 |
Kingston Park |
Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 |
W 46-13 |
|
27/9/98 |
Gateshead |
Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 |
L 21-23 |
|
2/1/99 |
Sunbury |
Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 |
L14-16 |
|
3/10/99 |
The Stoop |
Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 |
L 8-56 |
|
18/4/00 |
Kingston Park |
Allied Dunbar Premiership 1 |
W 28-23 |
|
5/12/00 |
Madejski Stadium |
Zurich Premiership |
L 17-19 |
|
10/12/00 |
Kingston Park |
Tetley’s Bitter Cup QF |
W 33-20 |
|
1/4/01 |
Kingston Park |
Zurich Premiership |
W 42-35 |
|
23/9/01 |
Madejski Stadium |
Zurich Premiership |
W 22-18 |
|
8/5/02 |
Kingston Park |
Zurich Premiership |
W 33-28 |
|
3/11/02 |
Kingston Park |
Zurich Premiership |
L 16-24 |
|
22/12/02 |
Kingston Park |
Powergen Cup 6th round |
L 16-17 |
|
29/12/02 |
Madejski Stadium |
Zurich Premiership |
L 0-20 |
|
23/11/03 |
Madejski Stadium |
Zurich Premiership |
W 19-15 |
|
28/2/04 |
Kingston Park |
Powergen Cup QF |
W 24-12 |
|
2/5/04 |
Kingston Park |
Zurich Premiership |
L 15-16 |
|
Total |
P 27 |
W 10 |
D 0 |
L 17 |
F 538 |
A 611 |
|
Home |
P 15 |
W 6 |
D 0 |
L 9 |
F 331 |
A 311 |
|
Away |
P 12 |
W 4 |
D 0 |
L 8 |
F 207 |
A 300 |
Irish boast many internationals in their squad, for England Mapletoft, Geoff Appleford, World Cup winner Mike Catt, Rob Hardwick and Michael Horak, as well as Irishmen Kieron Dawson and Justin Bishop. They also boast former Leicester flanker Paul Gustard, who was born in Newcastle. The only German ever to play in the Premiership, Jeff Fahrensohn, was also an Exile back in the late 1990s.
With Sale, Gloucester and Bath on paper all expected to win this weekend, the winner of this match will keep pace with the front runners, while the loser will be in grave danger of being left behind as seven days later we reach the halfway mark in the league season. We have now only lost one of four games in all competitions, but only one of our last four away from home since those opening two wins. We have to be looking for a win this Sunday, at a stadium we have won three of six games at. It is doable, but it will be tight as games between us and Irish often are.
My prediction? Irish 20 Newcastle 22.
Newcastle Falcons team to face London Irish:
15 Matthew Burke
14 Tom May
13 Jamie Noon
12 Epi Taione
11 Mathew Tait
10 Dave Walder
9 Hall Charlton
1 Ian Peel (captain)
2 Andy Long
3 Micky Ward
4 Luke Gross
5 Craig Hamilton
6 Semo Sititi
7 Cory Harris
8 Phil Dowson
Replacements:
Marius Hurter
James Isaacson
Andy Buist
Mike McCarthy
James Grindal
Mark Mayerhofler
Michael Stephenson
The Irish team:-
15. Michael Horak*; 14. Scott Staniforth*; 13. Geoff Appleford*; 12. Mark Mapletoft*; 11. Justin Bishop*; 10. Mike Catt*; 9. Paul Hodgson; 1. Neal Hatley (captain); 2. David Paice; 3. Rob Hardwick*; 4. Nick Kennedy; 5. Bob Casey*; 6. Paul Gustard; 7. Declan Danaher; 8. Phil Murphy*.
Replacements: 16. Doug Wheatley; 17. James Van Der Walt; 18. Roland Reid*; 19. Ryan Strudwick; 20. Nils Mordt; 21. Darren Edwards; 22. Barry Everitt.
*Denotes International
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