By Leipziger
August 5 2013

The Falcons kept up their strong record in the Premiership Sevens, and perfect record in three group stage events, on Friday by winning the Northampton round of this year’s competition.

In their first outing since winning promotion back in May, the Falcons named a young side under coaches Calum MacRae and Mark Laycock and captain Richard Mayhew, but saw off the hosts before beating Leicester and Sale to progress to Bath this coming Friday.

Mayhew was joined in the squad by fellow first-teamers Joel Hodgson, Tom Catterick and Michael Tait, but student flyer Zach Kibirige was a late withdrawal due to injury.

The Falcons were first onto the Franklin’s Gardens pitch to take on the Saints in front of 9,000 thirsty spectators (the bar ‘service’ left a fair amount to be desired). The Geordies dominated the early minutes and Catterick and Tait crossed for converted tries.

Paul Diggin squeezed into the corner to get the hosts onto the scoresheet, and though Mayhew broke the length of the field to increase the lead for the green-shirted Falcons, most of the crowd were delighted to see Northampton take the lead with just a seconds remaining, Harry Betts looking to have grabbed the winner.

The Falcons are a formidable sevens team however, and never gave up. Backed by a couple of dozen rowdy travellers, Newcastle attacked and Simon Hammersley’s try ensured that the points followed the run of play. The Falcons’ 28-22 win lay down a marker for the rest of the evening.

Leicester snuck a win over Sale in the evening’s second game before the Tigers took on the Falcons, who were favoured by the scheduling  as the only team to neither play nor rest for consecutive matches all night.

The Falcons were 19-0 up at half-time thanks to two tries from Harrison Collins, who showed pace down the right wing to outrun the Leicester defence, and a score by man-of-the-night Catterick. Though the Midlanders got two tries back in the second half despite having two players in the sin bin, the men in black never seemed in danger and secured a finals place.

Sale set up a group-winning showdown with their northern neighbours by beating Northampton, leaving Mancs in second place on six points and the Falcons at the top on nine.

Before then was the fan challenge, and just as he had done two years earlier at the finals at the Stoop, a behatted Falcons supporter blew away the opposition to win tickets for the finals in Bath. Even a dive that went nowhere due to the unexpectedly dry grass could not deny the Geordie his prize.

As against Leicester, the Falcons flew into an early lead against Sale with Hodgson and Mayhew scoring. The Sharks were a threat for a lot of the second half and Tom Brady got the score back to 12-5, but his side could not force another score, leaving them out of the competition.

After that big game, it was time for THE big one – Leicester v Northampton, the winner joining Newcastle at the Rec.

The Tigers ensured that it was a bad night for Northampton on the pitch as well as in the bar with a 17-5 win.

Having been finalists in 2010 and winners a year later, before missing the competition last year due to relegation, the Falcons will be looking to regain the title, which London Irish will not be around to defend, and will fancy their chances of laying down a marker ahead of a first season back in the big time.