Saracens put up cricket score against Newcastle in Kingston Park rout
Saracens produced a wonderful display to dismiss Newcastle Falcons and gain a bonus point in a 50-12 rout at Kingston Park.
A double from Theo Dan, combined with tries for Elliot Daly and Alex Lewington overturned an early effort from Sebastian de Chaves to give the away side a 28-7 lead at the interval.
Bryan Byrne dotted down to give the Falcons hope, but a trio of tries from Tom Willis, Juan Martin Gonzalez and Manu Vunipola snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback.
The hosts have now lost their opening five league games, while their opponents registered their third successive Premiership win.
The visitors lost Callum Hunter-Hill to injury in the warm-up – with Ollie Stonham stepping up to start in his place – while former Saracens prop Eduardo Bello made his first league start for the Falcons.
It was the hosts who made the early ground and were rewarded in the fifth minute when De Chaves powered over to give Brett Connon a simple conversion opportunity.
After a bright opening, things began to unravel for the north-east side when Elliott Obatoyinbo was sin-binned after 12 minutes for a deliberate knock-on.
Dan touched down shortly after from a maul on the left and Alex Lozowski added the extras to level the scores.
The home side were able to fend off the champions while down to 14 but could not stop a superb run from Daly in the 26th minute, who moved from left to right and found a way through to put Sarries in front.
And the lead was extended in the 34th minute – Lewington running laterally to round the Falcons defensive line and dotting down in the left corner, with Lozowski putting away the tricky conversion from the touchline.
Dan scored again – in a very similar manner to his first – to give his side a bonus point they thoroughly deserved on their first-half performance.
Lozowski added another three points from the tee shortly after the break, before Byrne gave the crowd something to cheer with the hosts’ second try – Connon was unable to nail the conversion from the right.
Saracens have not lost to the Falcons in the league since February 2009 – and that run never looked in danger, as Willis went over on the flank for the visitors’ fifth try and it took a last-ditch tackle from Adam Radwan to stop Lewington going over again.
Sarries lock Stonham was sin-binned for high contact with 14 minutes to go to offer a glimmer of hope that Newcastle might get something from the game.
However, the returning Gonzalez and Vunipola went over to end any lingering doubts and condemned the Tyneside club to another loss.
Comments on RugbyPass
Yes, 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.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 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.
2 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
2 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 commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to comments