Newcastle Red Bulls
Time running out
By Leipziger
April 23 2011
Last night the Falcons gave away a bonus point at home to Leicester, and handed Leeds a lifeline as now any points for the Cardigans against Harlequins tomorrow will lift them off bottom and put all the pressure back on us.
The Falcons put in a massive effort last night, driven on by probably the best atmosphere of the season, at least in the South Stand, but ultimately the Premiership table shows no difference from yesterday morning except that we have played one more game.
Only the very brave or very foolish would bet on Leeds getting anything at all from Northampton in two weeks' time, so a win last night would in my opinion have practically guaranteed safety. What an opportunity we have wasted.
No matter that we were playing Leicester, we move on to Bath next, a team we haven't beaten at KP since October 2003. We have no choice but to beat them now.
So in front of over 6,400 in west Newcastle last night we took on the champions who rested their England half-backs, and Jeremy “Not as good as Toby” Staunton missed an early penalty before Jimmy Gopperth put us ahead with a penalty.
Leicester then attacked and won a penalty five metres in front of the posts. The Falcons stood still and the ball was whipped to Alex Tuilagi, and he easily scored, Staunton converting.
Staunton and Gopperth exchanged penalties before half-time, leaving the score at 6-10 at the interval. Obviously now we'd have taken that, but at that point we were still after a win.
After half-time the crowd came alive at KP and the Leicester and Northampton fans in the South Stand were completely silenced.
So much hope. In the second half Leicester put together a nice move and Matt Smith was on the shoulder of a team mate to take a pass and score from a metre out. I can't remember the last time I saw us score a try like that and it shows a big difference between our two teams.
The Falcons didn't give up, driven on by the vocal crowd. Tane Tu'ipulotu took a ball on the far left and fought through to score a try that set the Geordie supporters alight and Gopperth's conversion reduced the deficit to just four points.
Leicester continued to drive forward but the Falcons' defence held out. If we put the high quality of the Falcons' defence at one end of the spectrum and the problems we have in attack at the opposite end, there would surely be a far bigger gap than any other side in the Premiership has. Perhaps it was inevitable that we were undone by another mistake.
The Falcons sent a high ball towards halfway, and Tim Swinson left the catch for Tom Catterick. Catterick backed away as the ball fell and Leicester won possession, driving forward and though James Grindal (of all people) was tackled just in front of the line, he reached over to score. The conversion went over.
The Tiggers' last try knocked the fight out of the home fans and probably the Falcons themselves. Leicester saw out a 13-24 victory.
Leicester's win last night denied us the possibility of one of the best managerial excuses ever – Richard Cockerill blaming a defeat on half of his team being sleepy from going to the cinema in The Gate on Thursday night, or bloated from the popcorn and fizzy drinks.
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Stumbleupon23/04/2011 08:04
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Overall another gutsy performance by the Falcons but in all honesty we never looked like winning. The frustrating thing was the way we kept winning penalties in the second half and then messed up the line-out or immediately turned the ball over.All that good work for nothing.
Vickers for me was both the hero and the villain. He did a great one-handed offload while being tackled by two Leicester players to put Tulip in at the corner. Yet he seemed incapable of hitting his man in the line-out. Why was Thompson substituted so early in the second half?
If you get a bonus point for effort we should have had one. I was pleased in the end we denied the Cheetahs a winning bonus point.
As for atmosphere, Leipy, I thought the crowd at the Saints game was much more vocal. There was a large contingent of travelling fans both in front and behind me in the west Stand so I felt like a lone voice at times.
Still think we'll stay up because we are better than Leeds (and probably Sale on recent form).
Fully agree that the team blew a chance of getting a bonus point - which they would have deserved for effort and commitment.
Unfortunately the tigers demonstrated that they have that extra something we lack - the ability to seize an opportunity, gain territory, retain possession and score.
There was a sequence last night when the Falcons had possession for five minutes, starting with a scrum on the Tigers 22 metre line and after three or four phases lost possession 10 metre in to the falcons half of the pitch. At which point the Tigers took the ball to within a few metres of the Falcons tryline in less that a minute with four or five quick passes between forwards and backs running at pace, at varying angles, and supporting each other until only a great tackle denied them breaching the try line.
That sequence - which I have seen too often this season - summed up for me the problem that the Falcons need to overcome.
To summarise - full marks for effort, need to do better.
All we need now is a bonus point win - home and away - against Bath!
PS Happy Hooker - you should know by now that the Falcons replace the front row shortly after half-time, irrespective of match position, team performance, or individual player's contribution. they do it every match. And it is not right.
I read somewhere that he may be back for next week - anyone know any more on that and on Jezza too?
Both sides aren't good enough at this level, but it would at least clear the air if one side could decisively win a game, and then declare as the better side, rather than both of us slide into a solitary point, or points difference finish, which will leave a "What if ?" scenario, un - satisfying for both sides.
I hope we are the team to do that, but in the perspective of the season:
When the fixtures came out - it was always going to be a case of having a points cushion - before this brutal end to the season - and we didn't have it.
Having 4 home games in a row should be advantageous, but we have lost 3, and if 4 are lost, we can have no qualms at going down.
If we had performed at this level of intensity throughout the season then maybe we could have learned to execute the skills level- unfortunately the passing and kicking doesn't match the level of ambition. The problem in a nutshell really.
Quote:Still think we'll stay up because we are better than Leeds
What's the basis for that assertion Hooky?
We have the same number of points as them, until tomorrow played the same number of games, won the same number of games but they've scored more tries than us.
I would say our defence is better than theirs and we've got an infinitely better goal kicker but apart from that there's nothing to choose between two very poor sides.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:04:23:14:19:34 by TouchLine.
When things didn't go right, Tigers were abale to send some big runners straight through the middle and alongside the ruck. We tackled valiantly but in attack we don't have the big ball carriers in the forwards that we need.
I really like Hogg but he certainly isn't a dynamic runner so needs at least one big carrier in the back row with him to balance things.
Quote:Maccafan2
we are bottom of the league.
I hate to disappoint you Maccafan, but we're not.
But if they are doing that work others need to carry the ball
Amazing what Biggs can do when he gets the ball, shame we never gave it to him.
Quote:TouchLineQuote:Still think we'll stay up because we are better than Leeds
What's the basis for that assertion Hooky?
We have the same number of points as them, until tomorrow played the same number of games, won the same number of games but they've scored more tries than us.
I would say our defence is better than theirs and we've got an infinitely better goal kicker but apart from that there's nothing to choose between two very poor sides.
TL
It is of course an opinion. But if you want to argue stats, we have a points deficit of 160 while Leeds have a points deficit of 233. That surely tells you something.
We beat them convincingly at Leeds and although we lost at KP we played the better rugby overall but threw the game away with two acts of stupidity, one on the stroke of half time, the other with 3 mins to go.
Yes we are two poor sides but they are slightly worse than us!
Quote:But if you want to argue stats, we have a points deficit of 160 while Leeds have a points deficit of 233. That surely tells you something.
Of course, as I said we have a better defence and a better kicker (without whom we would be bottom by some margin I suspect).
I can agree that they are slightly worse than us which has a different emphasis to your original assertion.
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