Falcons have 'already parked' one of the biggest results in the club's history
Newcastle Falcons boss Dean Richards hailed his Heineken Champions Cup heroes following Sunday’s 26-25 win in Toulon, but insisted they won’t rest on their laurels with Montpellier due at Kingston Park Stadium on Sunday October 21.
It was only the second time a side has won in Toulon in the Champions Cup.
Speaking after a dramatic opening-day triumph at Stade Felix Mayol against the three-time European champions, Richards said: “It was a hell of a game, the boys threw everything at it and it was fantastic that we came through and got the win that we deserved in the end.
“Our defence was strong, we played in the right areas and the tactics from the boys were outstanding. We got it right, and the players should take a huge amount of credit.
“There were a lot of lads out there who’ve never played Champions Cup rugby, and they didn’t look out of place at all. They acquitted themselves well on the day, and I’d also like to thank all the supporters who travelled over and gave us such great backing.”
Insisting Sunday’s memorable triumph was just the start of the journey, the director of rugby said: “I say every time that it’s not where you are at the start of a competition, it’s where you are at the end that counts.
“Today was a notable victory which is right up there with any other, but it’s only one victory and we have to now go out and back it up against Montpellier on Sunday.
“We’ve already parked it, the players have moved on to the next game and we know Montpellier will be a massive test. They’re a little bit like Toulon and it will be a hard game, and after today they’ll certainly not take us lightly.”
Reflecting on a game which his side going a try down inside the opening minute, he added: “We made the worst start possible by conceding a try from the kick-off, but we dug ourselves out of that hole.
“Toulon were probably a bit disjointed at times and didn’t show a lot of patience, but we didn’t allow them to string together anything more than five or six phases at a time.
“They were a dangerous team and we had to be on our mettle, which thankfully we were.
“We knew we had the wind behind us in the first half and that we had a chance of being in front at half-time, and from there you’ve always got an opportunity to stay ahead.
“Toulon were always going to try and chase it, and we’d said before the game that Toulon struggle to play without continuity.
“We looked at what the crowd was going to offer on the day, we prepared for that side of it with videos and audio, and the boys were prepared for it. None of the boys froze, they were all magnificent and the thing now is to make sure it isn’t a one-off.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Starts to be overdone and oversold this systematic SA narrative…which nevertheless has the merit in this case to recognise blatant refereeing mistakes in their favor
2 Go to commentsNice article. Shades of Steinbeck. They can win the final if they take the game seriously; but only if they take it seriously.
2 Go to commentsWhat a sad way to end a glittering career. Somebody should tell him to delete his social media accounts and face the consequences of what he's done. Then he should slip away quietly into obscurity. This isn't likely to happen, something tells me he'll be back in The Sun / Daily Mail sooner rather than later.
3 Go to commentsguys its fine! he understands why he did what he did and has taken accountability for it; why should he have to be accountable to a court? after all he did was abuse people in person - its not as if he was engaging in _online_ abuse!
3 Go to commentsChiefs flanker Kaylum Boshier yellow-carded for collapsing the scrum as it rolled towards the line. It was a maul….
1 Go to commentsyou know, i’m a leinster fan so I want Northampton to lose and it is gonna be tuff with Cortney lawes, Alex michell and the other guys🏉 lets go leinster🏉
1 Go to commentsWelcome to the Pro ranks. Those hard teams of old do hit the sole better though. its a dog fight at the top.
6 Go to commentsCan someone fill me in please, I've read a number of Ben Smith articles now and it seems he's got something again South Africa? Surely, this game was over and done with 7 months ago. Can't we have something a bit more interesting and relevant, or is this the calibre of journalist on this site?
228 Go to commentsNot sure what the Welsh are moaning about. They’ve had far more players off England, than England have had off Wales. Guys like Josh Hathaway and Kane James will play for Wales in the end. And they’ll be fsr better players for having played in the Gallagher Premiership, than they ever would have been had they stayed mired in the shambles that is Welsh rugby.
3 Go to commentsThis is all being blown totally out of proportion. First of all, since half the Irish team isn’t Irish - it’s very likely that none of the Irish players said that at all and, thus, we’re not being arrogant. Second, since half the Irish team is Kiwi - it’s very likely the Kiwi players were predicting a NZ SA World Cup final. Which they got spot on. Good on them!
163 Go to commentsAha. An Irishman with logic! Follow the flow: - Ireland peaks with a >80% win record between 2020 and 2023. And then… - crashes out of another QF at the WC; - Beat a poor French Team; - Beat 6N wooden spoonists Italy; - Play shite against eventual wooden spoonists Wales; - Lose against the most boring, “the worst English team ever” , a team widely regarded as unable to attack; - scrape through against Scotland. This article, No - Trimble, is on the money! Except for one glaring statement: _The Springboks have a few aces in the hole in this debate being the reigning world champions and official world number ones_ There is no debate, boys and girls. There it is. In black and white. “Reigning World Champions and OFFICIAL world number ones”. Come July, the overrated Andy Farrell and this overhyped team are going to enter into a world of hurt.
87 Go to commentsI’d like to know what homoerotic events Daniel enjoyed at 8th man. I clearly missed out!
19 Go to commentsThis article is missing some detail, like some actual context or info about what led to him abusing the ref.
2 Go to comments*They used to say that football is a gentleman sport watched by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan sport watched by gentlemen. How times have changed.*
3 Go to commentsexcept ot wasnt late wasnt late at all so dont know why you all saying its late he commits early and its your fault fir not paying attention
30 Go to commentsNot sure the Bulls need another average utility back in their ranks. Chamberlain has been ok for the Sharks but is by no means an X-Factor player. Bulls bought several utility backs which they barely use. A typical example would be Henry Immelman who plays mostly Fullback. The Bulls however have rarely played him this year and he has played wing or centre. Bulls want to build depth but seems like they have too many surplus players
1 Go to commentsABs lost against a side playing without a hooker - The guy playing, had one shoulder. Line outs were a gimme for the ABs, and the last 8 minutes 14 played 14 against a team that had been smashed 3 weeks in a row… Yet with all that possession, with all that territory, with all the advantages they actually had, especially in the last 8 minutes, they couldn’t buy a point. Those last 8 minutes determined if they outplayed the Boks or not. History will show that the Boks completely outplayed the ABs, especially in those last 8 minutes, the business end of any rugby match
228 Go to commentsWould’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
228 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
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