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Newcastle reward fans with victory over Northampton

By PA
Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints – Gallagher Premiership – Kingston Park

Second-half tries from Adam Radwan and Chidera Obonna earned Newcastle an 18-10 win over Northampton as fans were allowed into Kingston Park for the first time since March 2020.

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The Falcons showed their attacking intent from the outset as they kicked for the corner from three penalties well within kicking range but were unable to take advantage with the Saints defence doing well to hold the ball up.

Tom James was sin-binned after 15 minutes for a deliberate knock-on and Newcastle looked to continue to pin Northampton back in their own 22. The pressure was relieved with Callum Chick also being found guilty of a deliberate knock-on and being sent to the bin.

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Northampton finally made it into the Newcastle 22 but their chances of going ahead were ended with a monster tackle from Matias Orlando on David Ribbans, dislodging the ball and forcing the knock-on.

Tommy Freeman put the Saints under all sorts of pressure when his pass landed at the ankles of George Furbank who could not gather cleanly, but Newcastle were unable to capitalise from the resulting scrum.

Northampton edged ahead on 37 minutes as James Grayson slotted a penalty from seven metres into the Newcastle half after Luther Burrell was penalised for obstruction.

Brett Connon kicked a penalty from eight metres to level things up with the clock in the red after Saints were penalised again.

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The Saints started the second half strongly and grabbed the game’s opening try with Paul Hill latching onto Grayson’s offload and finishing under the sticks. Grayson kicked the simple conversion.

The Falcons grabbed their first try of the game on 56 minutes with Radwan going over in the corner after a five-metre scrum. Chick was stopped close to the line and the ball was recycled for Radwan to claim his fourth of the season. Connon kicked the conversion from tight to the touch line.

A game that was riddled with errors saw Grayson miss his kick to the corner after turning down a shot at the sticks which would have given the visitors the lead.

Newcastle took the lead with 62 minutes on the clock. The Falcons turned the ball over from a Northampton scrum and, with the ball flung wide, it was replacement Obonna who raced in from 20 metres. Connon pushed the conversion across the face of the posts.

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Grayson had the chance to reduce the deficit on 70 minutes but his penalty for offside sailed wide of the posts from 35 metres.

Connon had the opportunity to make it a two-score game with a penalty in the final five minutes but his effort fell just short of the posts.

However, moments later he was able to add three points after Saints held on 10 metres out in front of the posts, sealing a second successive win for the Falcons.

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints - Gallagher Premiership - Kingston Park

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J
Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

37 Go to comments
A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

37 Go to comments
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