By Leipziger
October 17 2005

As promised, here's the second of the match reports from Friday night's game at Welford Road, this time with the views from Leipy's perspective.

The Falcons’ lineout plumbed new depths of incompetence tonight at Leicester but to be honest who gives a stuff?

 

It is times like this when one feels just a touch glad that he supports a mid-table side, when an average performance and a draw at Welford Road is a cause for celebration.

 

And as I consume ever more alcohol on the train home from the Midlands, I can’t get the smile off my face!

 

BUT back to reality, and lets remember that we’re talking about the Falcons here, where the results so often masks what went on during the game.

 

The team selection raised conflicting emotions in this fan’s mind. On the downside, the entire front row were changed again and Jamie Noon was only on the bench, but he was the third back replacement (the first time this season we’ve had such a thing) and Jonny Wilkinson and Andy Long were starting.

 

Our ex-England number 10 was involved from the start, hitting the post with an early penalty but as we retained possession, making up for that with a neat right-footed drop goal.  Andy Goode equalised after ten minutes however with a 35-metre penalty and repeated the trick from closer range soon after to give Leicester the lead.

 

The Tigers began to take a strong hold on the play but were unable to score and we made them pay with a controversial Wilkinson penalty on the half-hour after Graham Rowntree was concussed and replaced by Darren Morris (Louis Deacon was also subbed on the Leicester side after lengthy treatment).

 

But soon after it was Wilkinson who was left crumpled by a late tackle deep in our half by Harry Ellis, and from the resulting penalty in Leicester’s half Matt Burke put us back ahead 6-9.  Goode and Andy Long were then sent to the sin bin almost simultaneously, the former for another hit on Wilkinson and the latter seemingly for our persistent infringing.

 

Then it all kicked off as close to half time Julian White pinned Andy Perry to the ground and punched him a fair number of times, and the two were red-carded by Tony Spreadbury.  Interestingly, Robbie Morris seemed to be the Falcon in the thick of the action (read on…).

 

The interval came after a mammoth FIFTY-FOUR minutes (when did you last see a second half that long?), us having retained a 6-9 advantage despite Leicester having had most of the territory and won I think 5 of our 7 lineouts in the opening half.  For one lineout Long threw the ball in before the locks were even ready, and then Leicester read the same code TWICE in a row!

 

The second half began with us having an optimistic but cautious lead, and so it proved as Leicester piled forward, and the lone Falcon in the Gents had to keep a low profile as the home crowd seemed to cheer a home try, and was then castigated in the beer queue even though he just wanted to watch the telly showing us holding Leicester up through the clubhouse window.

 

We held up another close attack on 48 minutes but unfortunately James Hamilton crossed the line and convinced Spreadbury that he’d scored a try, despite having lost control of the ball.  And then Goode’s conversion actually went wide, but after a moment’s hesitation and some influence from the crowd, the touch judges decided otherwise.  We were now 13-9 behind.

 

Goode almost scored again soon after when he charged down a kick in our 22, but he reached the ball a fraction after it had gone dead in the right hand corner.  With Leicester playing with only one prop we then brought on Luke Gross and Mike McCarthy for Micky Ward and Owen Finegan, but Goode’s third penalty increased the deficit to seven points and it looked like we’d go down to an eighth successive defeat at Welford Road.

 

However, as the clock ticked down we managed to put together a decent attack, and with minutes left we formed a good overlap on the left and Morris barged his way over for a try to send the travelling Geordies potty.  Burke’s conversion levelled the scores, but almost straight away we were given another penalty on halfway.  Could we steal a win?

 

Unfortunately not, as Burke missed the target, but then in injury time our hearts were in our mouths as Goode dropped a goal… wide.  Oh the tension!  And so both sides had to be content with two points, which probably every Newcastle fan would have taken before kick-off.

 

And so we can be happy, and admire the resilience shown by the boys against a tough and talented Leicester team.  Also pleasing is the fact that for the first time this season one of our props played a full match, although during the first half fisticuffs Robbie Morris did his best not to be the one to take that accolade.

 

The main negative from the evening, in terms of our play, must be the first half lineout.  Losing the same throw twice in a row is unforgivable.  Perhaps Long is a victim of Rob’s front row policy – he has subconsciously realised that he can play brilliantly or terribly and he will still play some part next week but never the whole game (unless Stuart Mackie is on the bench, who after the evidence in Northampton it seems Rob does not trust).

 

But tonight the Falcons set a little record – becoming the first side in over a year to take ANY Premiership points from Welford Road.  The last team to do that were Bath on October 9^th 2004.  The result that day?  A spooky 16-16 draw!

 

Roll on Gloucester in November now!