Last Action Hero

By Leipziger
August 7 2009

Moving onto my top five Falcons matches, we come to one of the most glorious victories in our history, and one of the tensest. They are certainly two that will certainly merit more than a mere mention when the club's comprehensive history is written.  

5 Newport (H) 16/01/2005

Although the weekend in Paris was brilliant if ultimately unsuccessful, it took six epic matches in the pool round to get us to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals, and after two defeats of Edinburgh, wins against Newport and Perpignan and a defeat in France on the penultimate weekend, it all came down to the Dragons' visit to Kingston Park to see if we would become one of the top eight sides in Europe for 2005.

The game in Catalonia had given Rob Andrew a huge headache over selection the following week (though maybe not as scary as a near mid-air collision!) and on the Friday before the match Ed Kalman was named at tight-head for a debut and James Grindal at fly-half. In the end, Mark Wilkinson wore that shirt for only the fourth time in a competitive match, and Matthew Burke and Jamie Noon were also unexpectedly fit.

The relegation battle of two years earlier notwithstanding, in terms of the rewards from this match it was one of if not the biggest match the club had ever played, as a win on the Sunday lunchtime would guarantee us a spot in the quarter-finals, and Andrew's talking up of the game in the days leading up to it helped attract a crowd of over 7,000.

In the first half Colin Charvis and Gareth Wyatt exchanged tries but Burke's boot was the difference as we went into the break leading 13-5, and completely unconcerned about what Perpignan were doing at Murrayfield. In the second half the Falcons dominated but wanting the win so much neither those on the pitch nor off it could relax, even when after respective tries from Tom May and Kevin Morgan Burke dummied his way over and sent the home fans crazy.

There was still time for Ian Gough to level the try count but at 25-17 we secured top spot in our pool and after the match Mick Hogan announced to jubilant fans in the West Stand that that meant a trip to Paris to meet Stade Francais. But that was for another day and the celebrations carried on for the rest of the day. I myself needed a little sleep when I got home before heading to the pub with the lads, and I know of one fan who might not like to be reminded what happened on the last bus home from KP.

I think God was man of the match, if only perhaps because I have a photo of me with him after the game, but one of the biggest surprises of the day was the excellent performance Sparks put in at fly-half, a big departure from his previous shows at 10. He was composed, had time to act and laid a good platform for Jamie Noon and Mathew Tait in the centres. The next home game saw him named man of the match, but unfortunately his form didn't last.

4 Leeds (A) 07/02/2003

I can't help but smile when I think about this match, played on a cold dark winter's night at Headingley, and although the incredible finish is the first thing that comes to mind, what I also remember is that on the afternoon I had a German politics class. Maybe I wasn't really paying attention, and just thinking about the game.

Anyway, the scene was that, although bottom of the table, a week previously we had beaten Harlequins to get ourselves within two points of Bath and playing before them on this weekend, we could get ourselves above them, if only for a few hours, with a win in Yorkshire, although Leeds were having a much better time in their second Premiership season.

I remember getting to the ground about an hour before kick-off and the vast south terrace being almost deserted. As time went on, it began to fill up and even though only 7,000-odd were there, I believe at the time it was a record crowd for the Tykes. I found a group of Falcons fans and stood with them hoping for another vital win as we sought to keep ourselves in the top division.

It had been 362 days since the Falcons had last won a Premiership away match, at the same ground, and in the first half it looked like this trend would continue as Leeds kicked themselves to a 9-0 lead. For the most part there isn't too much to write about the first 80 minutes of this game, but I'll try.

In the second half, Jonny Wilkinson converted his own try and on 77 minutes knocked over a penalty to put us in the lead for the first time, but there was still plenty of drama to come as Leeds replied soon after. To make it worse, Andrew Mower was sin-binned, leaving us with 14 men for the rest of the game.

Our team could have been forgiven for thinking they were condemned to another loss, but the Harlequins victory had put a new spring in our step, and I can remember what happened next, right in front of my eyes, as if it were yesterday.

Jamie Noon cut through the Tykes on halfway and passed to Michael Stephenson, to cries of “forward” from the home fans, and Stevo was hauled down on the 22. The ball went loose and 7,000 people had hearts in their mouths. We Geordies prayed that a white shirt would pick it up, and finally two hands belonging to replacement scrum-half Hall Charlton gathered the ball.

Charlton ran in unopposed for probably the most important try he will ever score, sending the away fans potty. Again, if the lass I hugged and danced with is reading this, get in touch as I still don't know who you are! Wilkinson converted but it didn't matter as the game was now over, and our 12-17 win took us off the bottom of the league for the first time since the previous November. Bath's defeat to Leicester the following day gave us a real chance at survival now.

After full time, the players came over to where the majority of away fans were gathered and celebrated with them, and as they walked back of the pitch, Jon Dunbar turned around, threw his arms up at us and screamed with joy. Considering he played little in the second half of that season, it was great to see such passion.

The Great Escape was on.