Adam Radwan serves up solo effort try to steer Newcastle to victory at Bath
Adam Radwan will report for England duty on Sunday after another try-scoring performance as Newcastle beat Gallagher Premiership opponents Bath 20-13 at the Recreation Ground.
The 23-year-old wing, who pounced for a try hat-trick on his England debut against Canada this summer, scored a superb solo effort that left Bath floundering.
Radwam, who now links up with England as part of a 45-man training squad, struck during a dominant first-half display by the Falcons.
He was followed over the Bath line by fellow wing Iwan Stephens and hooker George McGuigan, while fly-half Will Haydon-Wood kicked a penalty and conversion.
Bath, minus half-backs Danny Cipriani and Ben Spencer, offered little in attack apart from some creative flair shown by centre Max Ojomoh, who claimed a try nine minutes from time, with Orlando Bailey adding two penalties and a conversion.
It was a second successive Premiership defeat for Bath ahead of a west country derby against Bristol next Friday, but Newcastle built impressively on a battling display against league champions Harlequins six days ago.
Radwan applied the stardust, yet there were several outstanding performances by the Falcons forwards, notably McGuigan, lock Sean Robinson and flanker Philip van der Walt.
The only frustration for Newcastle boss Dean Richards would have been his team’s failure to collect a bonus point, but there was still no doubting Falcons’ supremacy.
Cipriani missed out through injury for Bath, with Bailey starting in the number 10 shirt, while his half-back partner Ollie Fox made only a second Premiership start.
Prop Richard Palframan, a summer signing from Worcester, was handed a Newcastle debut, with Haydon-Wood given the starting fly-half role.
Bath endured a miserable opening 12 minutes, coming under sustained scrum pressure before England flanker Sam Underhill limped off and was replaced by Tom Ellis.
And before the home side could regroup, Newcastle stung them with a blistering effort by Radwan, who shredded their defence from 30 metres out.
Haydon-Wood missed the conversion, but he kicked a short-range penalty shortly afterwards and Newcastle were excellent value for an eight-point lead.
Bailey then sent a 35-metre penalty attempt wide that summed up Bath’s inaccuracy, and Newcastle continued to enjoy territorial dominance through solid work by half-backs Haydon-Wood and Louis Schreuder.
Bailey found his range when he landed a penalty 13 minutes before the break, then Palframan was forced off after being on the receiving end of a hefty midfield collision as Newcastle launched an attack.
The Falcons were way more inventive with ball in hand, and they deservedly extended their lead when Stephens squeezed over in the corner to leave Bath 12 points adrift.
And there was still time for Newcastle to score again, this time directly from lineout ball before a slick inside pass freed McGuigan, who sprinted clear and touched down.
Haydon-Wood converted, and Bath could have few complaints as Newcastle went into the break with a 17-point lead.
The second-half began in similar fashion regarding Newcastle’s control, and Bath saw flanker Miles Reid sin-binned by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys for a technical infringement.
Ojomoh, the 21-year-old son of former England flanker Steve Ojomoh, capped a fine display by touching down for Bath, yet it was nothing more than a consolation as Newcastle’s commanding interval advantage was never seriously threatened, despite a late yellow card for Schreuder.
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments