By Leipziger
September 21 2006

Tomorrow one of our bogy matches will take place as our original Friday night foes London Irish visit Kingston Park. The Irish have won all but two of their last seven matches in Newcastle since 2002. We have only triumphed in the league meeting once in that time, 23-16 at the end of 2004/05. Last season of course Irish beat us twice at home, firstly in the Premiership in November by a slender 20-23. Matthew Burke’s try and five Jonny Wilkinson penalties, including some very late which almost snatched a draw or victory, couldn’t win the match for the Falcons as Riki Flutey and Phil Murphy’s scores and Barry Everitt’s boot triumphed.

Then of course came the debacle of the European Challenge Cup semi-final in April, which the Irish at one point led 3-27, before Ben Woods scored one our tries of the season, and Tom May and Mathew Tait also scored to bring the scoreline back to within five points and if Matt Thompson had been awarded a try by TV, it could have turned out to be a successful season if we had won the final and got into the Heineken Cup. But it wasn’t to be, the comeback in the last ten minutes not enough to offset seventy minutes of rubbish.

That match was of course also the last appearance in a black shirt (well, a black Newcastle shirt) for Dave Walder, who was hauled off after half an hour for Jonny Wilkinson. Walder had been the architect behind our one win against Irish in 2005/06, in Reading 6-9 in poor weather.

With Wilkinson’s injury sustained two weeks ago, he will not be available for tomorrow’s match, however Mark Mayerhofler is back from injury and Jason Oakes makes his first start for us, Andy Buist moving to the back row in place of Mike McCarthy. Tim Visser continues on the wing, and we all pray he will score in the 80 minutes this week!

15 Matthew Burke ©
14 Tom May
13 Jamie Noon
12 Mark Mayerhofler
11 Tim Visser
10 Toby Flood
9 James Grindal
1 Robbie Morris
2 Andy Long
3 David Wilson
4 Andy Perry
5 Jason Oakes
6 Andy Buist
7 Ben Woods
8 Phil Dowson

Johnny Williams
Micky Ward
Matt Thompson
Mike McCarthy
Brent Wilson
Lee Dickson
Joe Shaw


Irish, third in last season’s table, haven’t had the best of starts to the season. Following an opening day defeat of Harlequins 20-19 thanks to a late Riki Flutey penalty, they were beaten 23-17 at Wasps and then last weekend surprisingly went down 11-26 to Bristol at the Madejski Stadium.

As always, Brian Smith’s Exiles will pack a punch up front, with prop Neal Hatley playing in his record 175th Premiership match. French legend Olivier Magne is in the back row, whilst World Cup winner and captain Mike Catt lines up in a strong kicking midfield with Flutey behind Barry Everitt at fly-half. Richie Rees is at scrum-half in place of the suspended Paul Hodgson, and England hopeful Nick Kennedy will compete with our Forces due of Oakes and Andy Perry in the second row:

15 Michael Horak
14 Topsy Ojo
13 Mike Catt ©
12 Riki Flutey
11 Sailosi Tagicakibau
10 Barry Everitt
9 Richie Rees
1 Neal Hatley
2 Robbie Russell
3 Richard Skuse
4 Nick Kennedy
5 James Hudson
6 Kieran Roche
7 Olivier Magne
8 Juan Leguizamon

16 Tonga Lae’aetoa
17 Danie Coetzee
18 David Fitter
19 Phil Murphy
20 Aidan Cullen
21 Shane Geraghty
22 Delon Armitage

London Irish is one of those games you look forward to, because their fans are so fun and outgoing and create a party atmosphere. If you only make one game this year, make it this one, even if we lose you’re guaranteed a good time.