By Smurf back from the Nurf
December 29 2003

Well, wasn't that fun? Driving up to Newcastle (for once, I was a passenger for the entire journey), get to the ground, no programme, fifteen minute queue to get in, tickets for the wrong stand, and the rugby afterwards didn't improve things. First things first. We pulled up in Newcastle at 1.30,
at my brothers friend's house. After unloading the
car, a short walk later and we were at the ground. By
ten past two we were in the stadium, enquiring where
the John Smiths Stand was. After being told it was the
new stand, we headed for that, only to be told we were
supposed to be in the end terraces, which would be
fine if they hadn't crammed in two hundred people too
many. We ended up standing in front of the south
terrace, with a lousy view of the pitch due to people
walking past.

From the off we knew we were in for a dfficult time,
with one early run adjudged a foot in touch and
another an obvious knock on. Penalties were exchanged
between wilkinson and Drahm & Reihana, taking over the
duties when the Aussie needed treatment. Saints pushed
hard towards the end of the first half, only to come
away with nothing, and the half time score read 9 - 6
to the home team.

Saints, now playing away from us in the second half,
put in several good attempts. We eventually propelled
John Leslie over the line five minutes after the
break. Drahm slotted the conversion to set the Saints
core to unlucky 13.

What happened next is greatly up for debate. No one
can argue the Falcons hooker, Matt Stevens, chipped
through the Saints defence. However, it seemed obvious
to almost everyone around me (including nearly all of
the Falcons fans) that Bruce Reihana grounded the
ball. For the referee and touch judge, both unsighted,
to deny that he properly grounded this is crazy. That
Nick Beal remonstrated with both officials while the
conversion line was paced out was so out of character
is must have made them think twice. To add insult to
injury, a clearly wide conversion was also signalled
good by the men in charge.

Still, Michael Stephenson and Dave Walder's names both
entered the score sheet, to give Falcons back the lead
at 16 - 13.

What happened next was either very unlucky or just
plain bad play. Saints, on hte attack almost from the
restart, are passing the ball ten metres out from the
line. A pass goes astray, straight into the hands of
Davfe Walder, who runbs in a simple, unchallenged try,
albeit an eighty metre run. this broke the spirit of
the Saints team, who were lucky they didn't concede
more soft tries later on.

Two penalties from substitute stand off Paul Grayson
brought the Saints home with a point, to leave them
fourth in the table with a visit to third placed
London Irish to come in the new year.

So, we trek back to our digs for the night (stopping
off at a pub, of course) and settle down, trying to
remember the last time Saints had a run of four league
wins. the answer is March/April 2002, with wins over
Leeds, bath, Gloucester and Sarries. seems a long
while ago....