Welcome back Jonny
Not a bang but a whimper.
Welcome back Jonny
By Griff
May 1 2005
The most tense last day of the Premiership, Irish travelled to Newcastle needing at least a point to keep them from the drop or else rely on the fortunes of others. Nerves of steel would be required to get us through.
Welcome back Jonny
May 1 2005
The most tense last day of the Premiership, Irish travelled to Newcastle needing at least a point to keep them from the drop or else rely on the fortunes of others. Nerves of steel would be required to get us through.
The Newcastle team sheet made pretty grim reading, on paper it is a team that can put anyone to the sword, watching them warm-up it was difficult to see how our guys would stand a chance.
From the kick-off though, and despite any of Rob Andrews’ opinions, it was evident that it was the team in green that aimed to play the rugby. The Irish were keeping the ball alive and making ground with some very proficient rugby. From Bob Casey claiming the kick-off Irish put together phase-after-phase to push slowly out of their own half and towards the Falcons line.
After 5 minutes the pressure told, repeated patterns of forwards pushing the ball into the Falcons defence, followed by the backs spinning it out and stretching the line found Delon Armitage in what looked like no space at all dancing through and making a fine dive to score a superb try virtually on the right touch-line. While it was the most difficult conversion possible Barry slotted it to give the large travelling support more resons to cheer their hearts out.
The re-start was gathered in a similar manner to the kick-off but the moves weren’t quite so slick this time and while trying to move out of their own half Irish got isolated and pinged for holding-on. This immediately showed the value for Falcons of young master Wilkinson, the penalty was only just inside the Irish half but Jonny opted for the posts and made the kick easily.
Re-starts are not a place where Irish have exerted much pressure recently but from this one they were keen to pressure and, before long had turned the ball over and begun their multi-phase plan to push to the line again. The plan continued well, Irish were winning that grey battle on the floor and recycling well even if they failed to off-load in the tackle.
Irish were now pressing the home defensive line hard but the Falcons were holding their ground. A series of penalties were kicked to the corner by an ambitious Exiles attack who believed they could get another try.
Another surge out right saw Nils Mordt dummy right and cut back in left before diving over covered by two desperately diving Falcons. Mr Maybank judged the effort to be held-up although it must have been close.
Irish kept up the pressure from the re-start and pushed again for the line, finally camping on the Falcons whitewash and making attempt-after-attempt to cross it. When they finally got a man across the canny home defence got another man under it.
Newcastle seemed to work out where our domination was coming from and began to target our back-row, within a few minutes Roland Reid, Keiran Dawson and most importantly Paul Gustard were looking like they’d been in a hard fight. Gussie had been huge and involved in everything, his injury was obviously bothering him and soon he had to be replaced – Kieron Roche replacing him. From this point the match changed.
No longer were Irish the only force and the home side began to have a little success, eventually actually getting into the Exiles half and making a few gains. The momentum continued with the Irish line, which had spent much of the first half in the distance, desperately standing in front of us holding back the Newcastle assault. They held off wave after wave of Falcon attacks, occasionally turning them over and pushing back to ease the pressure.
Eventually, though, the pressure told and the lads won’t be happy about it. They’ve withstood much more aggressive attacks with ease but sadly missed one too many tackles and let the Falcons move the ball swiftly into the hands of a triumphant Matt Burke who crossed the line to score. Jonny showed he was only human by actually missing the conversion.
It felt incredibly unfair, Irish had played most of the rugby and a short period of activity from the home team had put them in front (if only just). The Exiles steeled themselves to try and pull back the deficit.
With time running out before half-time Irish pushed manfully into the Falcons half trying to get a series of moves together to unlock the defence. It nearly came off but the home side had shut up shop and on the stroke of half time had to be satisfied with the return of the lead from the Barry Everitt penalty.
Half time Newcastle 8 – 10 Irish.
The second half was a much more broken affair, with neither side looking like they’d trouble the whitewash. Falcons were more than happy to let Irish indiscipline and Jonny’s dependable boot keep them in the game. Irish were just desperate to hold onto the lead.
Initally the visitors pushed hard, winning a series of penalties. The first Barry contrived to miss but the second he put over extending the tenuous lead. Then Falcons played their trump card.
The game had deteriorated into a game of tennis with both sides happy to simply kick their possession away. Both 10’s missed touch alarmingly regularly and the broken play allowed little in the way of sparkle. Irish were very guilty, and Michael Horak more than most, of giving away perfectly good possession by kicking straight to Matt Burke. On many occasions this was simply poor choices of kick in others it was the Aussies brilliance in reading the play and being in the right place.
The momentum went with the home side and Irish tempers started to fray under the pressure giving away penalty after penalty which home-favourite Jonny Wilkinson was more than happy to convert to points.
Irish not rolling away – 3 Falcon points.
Irish coming off their feet – another 3.
Irish scrum becomes Falcon penalty when an Exile gets a bit tasty with his fists in the breakdown – 3 to the Falcons.
A maul brought down – 3 more to the home team.
Suddenly results elsewhere became important. From a 2 point half-time lead Irish were now at the very edge of the all-important losing BP. While the home side never looked like they were going to cut-loose at any time they were eminently capable of continuing the punishment from Jonny’s boot.
Irish had to cut out the indiscipline and get back into the game, which they just about managed. I had gone to Newcastle hoping to witness some fireworks and a famous victory but by this point I was jus hoping we’d hold on to the BP. We did, one more penalty for Barry, cancelled out by man of the day Wilkinson later left the final score a disappointing Newcastle 23 – 16 Irish.
It was a huge shame, from the offset, and despite what Rob Andrew says, Irish went out to play rugby and take the game to Newcastle but ended-up getting dragged into mindless kicking battle which they would surely always lose. The forwards once again put in a huge performance, in the early first half there wasn’t a situation that our forwards couldn’t convert into Irish ball and the backs put together some fiery moves that they can be proud of but they still didn’t fire all together and put a team away the way they’ve been promising.
It sums the season up really; we did just enough to keep us safe but promised much, much more. Let’s hope we can get the fire back for next season.
From the kick-off though, and despite any of Rob Andrews’ opinions, it was evident that it was the team in green that aimed to play the rugby. The Irish were keeping the ball alive and making ground with some very proficient rugby. From Bob Casey claiming the kick-off Irish put together phase-after-phase to push slowly out of their own half and towards the Falcons line.
After 5 minutes the pressure told, repeated patterns of forwards pushing the ball into the Falcons defence, followed by the backs spinning it out and stretching the line found Delon Armitage in what looked like no space at all dancing through and making a fine dive to score a superb try virtually on the right touch-line. While it was the most difficult conversion possible Barry slotted it to give the large travelling support more resons to cheer their hearts out.
The re-start was gathered in a similar manner to the kick-off but the moves weren’t quite so slick this time and while trying to move out of their own half Irish got isolated and pinged for holding-on. This immediately showed the value for Falcons of young master Wilkinson, the penalty was only just inside the Irish half but Jonny opted for the posts and made the kick easily.
Re-starts are not a place where Irish have exerted much pressure recently but from this one they were keen to pressure and, before long had turned the ball over and begun their multi-phase plan to push to the line again. The plan continued well, Irish were winning that grey battle on the floor and recycling well even if they failed to off-load in the tackle.
Irish were now pressing the home defensive line hard but the Falcons were holding their ground. A series of penalties were kicked to the corner by an ambitious Exiles attack who believed they could get another try.
Another surge out right saw Nils Mordt dummy right and cut back in left before diving over covered by two desperately diving Falcons. Mr Maybank judged the effort to be held-up although it must have been close.
Irish kept up the pressure from the re-start and pushed again for the line, finally camping on the Falcons whitewash and making attempt-after-attempt to cross it. When they finally got a man across the canny home defence got another man under it.
Newcastle seemed to work out where our domination was coming from and began to target our back-row, within a few minutes Roland Reid, Keiran Dawson and most importantly Paul Gustard were looking like they’d been in a hard fight. Gussie had been huge and involved in everything, his injury was obviously bothering him and soon he had to be replaced – Kieron Roche replacing him. From this point the match changed.
No longer were Irish the only force and the home side began to have a little success, eventually actually getting into the Exiles half and making a few gains. The momentum continued with the Irish line, which had spent much of the first half in the distance, desperately standing in front of us holding back the Newcastle assault. They held off wave after wave of Falcon attacks, occasionally turning them over and pushing back to ease the pressure.
Eventually, though, the pressure told and the lads won’t be happy about it. They’ve withstood much more aggressive attacks with ease but sadly missed one too many tackles and let the Falcons move the ball swiftly into the hands of a triumphant Matt Burke who crossed the line to score. Jonny showed he was only human by actually missing the conversion.
It felt incredibly unfair, Irish had played most of the rugby and a short period of activity from the home team had put them in front (if only just). The Exiles steeled themselves to try and pull back the deficit.
With time running out before half-time Irish pushed manfully into the Falcons half trying to get a series of moves together to unlock the defence. It nearly came off but the home side had shut up shop and on the stroke of half time had to be satisfied with the return of the lead from the Barry Everitt penalty.
Half time Newcastle 8 – 10 Irish.
The second half was a much more broken affair, with neither side looking like they’d trouble the whitewash. Falcons were more than happy to let Irish indiscipline and Jonny’s dependable boot keep them in the game. Irish were just desperate to hold onto the lead.
Initally the visitors pushed hard, winning a series of penalties. The first Barry contrived to miss but the second he put over extending the tenuous lead. Then Falcons played their trump card.
The game had deteriorated into a game of tennis with both sides happy to simply kick their possession away. Both 10’s missed touch alarmingly regularly and the broken play allowed little in the way of sparkle. Irish were very guilty, and Michael Horak more than most, of giving away perfectly good possession by kicking straight to Matt Burke. On many occasions this was simply poor choices of kick in others it was the Aussies brilliance in reading the play and being in the right place.
The momentum went with the home side and Irish tempers started to fray under the pressure giving away penalty after penalty which home-favourite Jonny Wilkinson was more than happy to convert to points.
Irish not rolling away – 3 Falcon points.
Irish coming off their feet – another 3.
Irish scrum becomes Falcon penalty when an Exile gets a bit tasty with his fists in the breakdown – 3 to the Falcons.
A maul brought down – 3 more to the home team.
Suddenly results elsewhere became important. From a 2 point half-time lead Irish were now at the very edge of the all-important losing BP. While the home side never looked like they were going to cut-loose at any time they were eminently capable of continuing the punishment from Jonny’s boot.
Irish had to cut out the indiscipline and get back into the game, which they just about managed. I had gone to Newcastle hoping to witness some fireworks and a famous victory but by this point I was jus hoping we’d hold on to the BP. We did, one more penalty for Barry, cancelled out by man of the day Wilkinson later left the final score a disappointing Newcastle 23 – 16 Irish.
It was a huge shame, from the offset, and despite what Rob Andrew says, Irish went out to play rugby and take the game to Newcastle but ended-up getting dragged into mindless kicking battle which they would surely always lose. The forwards once again put in a huge performance, in the early first half there wasn’t a situation that our forwards couldn’t convert into Irish ball and the backs put together some fiery moves that they can be proud of but they still didn’t fire all together and put a team away the way they’ve been promising.
It sums the season up really; we did just enough to keep us safe but promised much, much more. Let’s hope we can get the fire back for next season.
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