Mulipola on relegation fight: 'It really will be the great escape if we can pull it off'
Logovi’i Mulipola is backing relegation-threatened Newcastle to pull off the great escape as they prepare to host Northampton on Friday.
With three rounds of Gallagher Premiership action remaining the Falcons are seven points from safety, but the Samoan is enthusiastic about the challenge ahead.
“I’m happy and confident that we have it in us – and we’re going to do it,” said Mulipola, the 26-cap international who joined from Leicester last summer.
“We’ve talked about how important it is to win these next three. We have to go out there and really work hard and we have to put every single thing into it. It really will be the great escape if we can pull it off this season.
“I back the boys, I really believe we can do it and the fact we are at home for two of our three games is a massive factor in our favour.
Gallagher Premiership drama is on the menu this Friday night at Kingston Park Stadium when Newcastle Falcons host Northampton Saints in a 7.45pm kick-off. This is certainly not one to miss. Book your spot via https://t.co/2lMcl4glOc? pic.twitter.com/yKbK9d7t6c
— Newcastle Falcons (@FalconsRugby) April 24, 2019
“They’re all cup finals now, we’re not going to pretend otherwise, but I back these boys all the way and we believe we can do it.”
Frustrated by their narrow home loss to Leicester a fortnight ago, Mulipola said: “That was a hard pill for the boys to swallow – I’m not going to lie.
“It was a good game, a tough game, and it’s always like that against Leicester. We slipped up in a way and it was pretty sad at the time.
“To be right on their line at the end of the game, those are the times when we talk about being really disciplined and controlling the game and in those two minutes at the end we were sure the game was going to be ours.
“But it didn’t happen. We have learned from it and we’ll take that lesson into our next three games. The only thing we can do now is move on and make sure we’re bang-on next time we get that opportunity.”
Having won their last six Premiership encounters against the Saints, Newcastle have the formbook on their side as Mark Wilson secured a late victory in their last league meeting on December 1.
Who needs what to get where this weekend? ?#GallagherPrem as it stands ?https://t.co/pa8DPwbq8q pic.twitter.com/wfD4vl30Zy
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) April 22, 2019
“Northampton have a similar mentality to Leicester, they’re a good team, but when we played them down there earlier in the season we came away with the win,” said Mulipola. “The boys were really on it for the last five minutes during that game. It was a great feeling when we got that winning try but we know Northampton will be backing themselves on Friday.
“We need to do our basics, trust our plan and the result will take care of itself from there. We felt a bit down after the Leicester game, but we have brought the energy up this week and really approached the Northampton game with a clear focus. We’re thinking positive and we’re being very detailed in our preparation.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
I’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
37 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
1 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to comments