By Chris Wearmouth
March 25 2006

So on Friday night we were entertained royally by the Old Boys and the prospects for years to come. So which one was the free match in the BOGOF for you? It’s a close-run thing for me, but on Sunday evening it will all be forgotten if the Northampton Saints present do the business at Kingston Park.

 

What can we expect from our trip north? Well, for those of you who are going, a chill. Not from the fans, but from the weather. I know we’ve been having a bit of a cold snap down here but this is nothing compared to what you’ll feel if the wind whips in off the moors. Cliché this may be, but the Falcons’ nest is at the very top end of Newcastle and there is nothing to stop a northerly should it get up. Certainly not the terracing that’s at that end of the ground.

 

Newcastle are one of the funnier sides of the Premiership. Not funny ha-ha, but funny as in permanent potential but little delivery. Yes, the same accusations that could be levelled in our direction but they have fewer excuses. In the time that it’s taken us to go through McGeechan, Steele, Smith, Solomons and Budge’n’Grayse they’ve had one director of rugby – Mr Squeaky himself, Rob Andrew.

 

Andrew has been in Toon since the advent of professional rugby, taken to the city in Sir John Hall’s ambitious but ultimately doomed attempt to create a Geordie sporting nation. He started by signing a host of relatively big-name players and won promotion the year after Saints did (although we went through our Division Two season unbeaten). They’ve won the Premiership and a couple of domestic cups but nothing aside from that. Having said that, all we’ve got to our name is a Heineken European Cup, so I shouldn’t be taking the mickey too much.

 

Nevertheless, after their sole league title in 1998 the Falcons have been mired in relative mid-table mediocrity, despite having one of the most exciting young back-lines in the country – if you believe the Lardy and Florist hype – and when combined with the astute forward signings of Colin Charvis and Owen Finegan there should be enough up there to see them strut their stuff at the top of the table. That they’re not is something of a mystery.

 

The Falcons sit a place ahead of us in the Guinness Premiership and level on points. And like us they’ve been on a good recent run of form, winning nine out of the past 12 matches. Mind you, one of those defeats came in just about the worst game I’ve seen this season, away at London Irish. But they’ve beaten Wasps, Leicester and, um, L’Aquila, so all in all you could reasonably say that it’s been a mixed season.

 

However, Newcastle did leave Franklin’s Gardens with the points way back in September. Mind you, our squad were still introducing themselves to each other at the time.

 

“I know you, you’re from some country a long way away.”

 

“And you’re from around here. What’s your name again?”

 

“Ben. Yours?”

 

“Carlos.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Dave Walder’s boot won the day back then, and we were, quite frankly, rubbish. But oh, how times change. Or do they? We were rubbish against London Irish a couple of rounds ago, so the parallels with the Falcons continue. And the fans who were denied a Jonny vs Los fly-half showdown earlier this season will once more miss seeing the best number 10 in the world come up against some big name has-been.

 

Needless to say this is a must-win game for both clubs. Neither are 100% safe from the drop just yet, and both are still within touching distance of Heineken Cup qualification for next year. But with team selection the mirroring stops.

 

Saints welcomed back their Six Nations contingent back into the fold this week, and unsurprisingly all three go straight into the starting line-up. Sean Lamont has been on sparkling form in the internationals, as has Steve Thompson. But Ben Cohen has looked lost in the white shirt, and he’s come under fire from many directions. So at this point I’ll stake my claim on him to be the one to watch on Sunday afternoon. If the pack can get enough ball for Los to do his thing, Newcastle had better watch out for 100kg of prime winger looking to take out some frustration.

 

Elsewhere Dan Richmond and John Rudd drop to the bench and with No 8 Daniel Browne still on the injured list Mark Easter remains in the back-row in the first match since he signed on the dotted line. Johnny Howard has also returned to the bench after he missed the Gloucester victory with a pectoral strain. And there’s something else…can’t quite remember…ah, that’s it. Bruce celebrates his 100^th game for the club.

 

Northampton Saints

15 BRUCE REIHANA (co-capt)
14 SEAN LAMONT
13 Jon Clarke
12 DAVID QUINLAN
11 BEN COHEN
10 CARLOS SPENCER
9 MARK ROBINSON
1 TOM SMITH
2 STEVE THOMPSON (co-capt)
3 Pat Barnard
4 Damien Browne
5 DAVID GERARD
6 PAUL TUPAI
7 SAM HARDING
8 Mark Easter

 

Replacements

16 Dan Richmond
17 Simon Emms
18 Matt Lord
19 Darren Fox
20 Johnny Howard
21 Robbie Kydd
22 John Rudd

 

So our big guns are back in. Newcastle, on the other hand, have refrained from doing likewise. Toby Flood is the only change from the side that was edged out by Lee Best’s late try at the Rec last time out. England centre Jamie Noon misses out after receiving a bang to the head in last weekend's Six Nations encounter with Ireland (didn’t we all?), while Mathew Tait is still away with England Sevens. Charvis is also left out, apparently so he’ll be firing on all cylinders for Newcastle’s Challenge Cup quarter-final with Connaught.

 

In addition to Noon and David Wilson, injuries have also deprived the Falcons of the services of Lee Dickson (knee), Phil Dowson (neck), Jonny Wilkinson (adductor), Mark Wilkinson (shoulder), James Hoyle (shoulder) and Sean Tomes (ankle). But ex-Saints Robbie Morris and Joe Shaw are in the squad, along with Walder, Finegan and Waratah legend Matthew Burke.

 

Newcastle Falcons

15 Matthew Burke (captain)
14 Anthony Elliott
13 Tom May
12 Toby Flood
11 Ollie Phillips
10 Dave Walder
9 James Grindal
1 Micky Ward
2 Andy Long
3 Robbie Morris
4 Andy Perry
5 Geoff Parling
6 Owen Finegan
7 Ben Woods
8 Andy Buist

 

Replacements:
16 Jonny Williams
17 Matt Thompson
18 Stuart Grimes
19 Mike McCarthy
20 Mark Mayerhofler
21 Hall Charlton
22 Joe Shaw

 

So what to expect? Well, I don’t know to be honest. Our last away game was that Reading hiding, and their last home fixture ended with a win over the Tigers. Given that you would point to a Falcons win. But the Irish result is an aberration in a long run of good performances that stretches back over three months and Leicester were deprived of their internationals when they made the run up the A1.