We need to be looking at the very lest eight points from the double header with the Scots, however, nothing can be taken for granted in this potential banana skin game.

Edinburgh currently lie tenth, one place off bottom, in the Celtic League above Borders, having won three of nine matches so far in 2004/05.  Their wins came against Cardiff at home 35-16, 35-24 at Connacht and, like us, they have won at Rodney Parade beating Gwent 17-16 in the league two weeks ago.  Their last outing was an 11-0 home defeat by Munster last Friday.  In the European Cup Edinburgh lost both of their opening matches, 23-0 at Perpignan and 17-13 at home to Gwent.  Therefore we can see that they have been successful only once at home since making the move to the mammoth bowl of Murrayfield, where the Falcons will travel next Saturday for the first time.  However, on their travels Edinburgh cannot be underestimated as they showed winning in Wales.

Their squad also boasts amongst their stars our former fly-half Phil Godman, Scotland internationals Nathan Hines, Craig Joiner, Scott Murray, Brendan Laney, Derrick Lee and British Lion Simon Taylor, as well as former All Black Todd Blackadder.  When these guys clash with our own boys Matt Burke, Stuart Grimes, Jamie Noon, David Walder and Colin Charvis, we can expect fireworks and a cracking match.

However, I don’t think we can expect such an emphatic win as we had in Edinburgh’s single previous visit to Kingston Park, on October 5^th 1997 in what was then the European Conference.  In our penultimate pool match we needed a victory in order to avoid travelling to Biarritz needing to win to qualify for the quarter finals.  The Falcons triumphed 72-24, with twelve tries from Jim Naylor, Va’aiga Tuigamala, John Bentley (3), Ross Nesdale (2), Garath Archer, Dean Ryan (2), Neil Frankland and a youngster who came off the bench to make his debut in senior rugby, one Jonny Wilkinson!  Stuart Legg converted six of the scores, and our team lined up like so: S Legg, J Naylor, V Tuigamala, M Shaw, J Bentley, R Andrew, G Armstrong, N Popplewell, R Nesdale, P Van-Zandvliet, G Archer, D Weir, P Walton, R Arnold, D Ryan ©.  That year we also played Perpignan and made it to the semi finals in Europe – an omen perhaps?

If Edinburgh’s recent form has been inconsistent, ours has been equally so.  After the euphoria of the first two Heineken Cup games, we slumped to a defeat at Sale, beat Leeds at home, lost away to London Irish before last weekend hammering another nail into Northampton’s Premiership coffin.  However, whilst we could have won both of the games we lost, especially London Irish, last weekend we saw a dreadful performance from both teams.  Inconsistency indeed.

Edinburgh will be more than up for this weekend as they need to win all four remaining games, and win big, to have any hope of repeating last season’s qualification for the quarter-finals.  A victory for us and we will be another step on our way there.  I think we’ll do it.  Newcastle 35-13 Edinburgh.

Newastle Falcons team to face Edinburgh:

15 Matthew Burke
14 Tom May
13 Jamie Noon
12 Mark Mayerhofler
11 Michael Stephenson
10 Dave Walder
9 Hall Charlton

1 Ian Peel (captain)
2 Andy Long
3 Micky Ward
4 Luke Gross
5 Andy Buist
6 Mike McCarthy
7 Colin Charvis
8 Phil Dowson

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