Newcastle Falcons 2013/2014

First topic message reminder :

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Peter Russell (Leaving at the end of the season)
Forwards Coach: John Wells
Defence Coach: Graham Steadman
 
Current Squad: Underlined are new signings coming in the summer 2014
 
Forwards
Props: Grant Shiels, Oliver Tomasczyk, Keiron Brookes, Scott Wilson, Jeff Hallam, Rob Vickers , Eric Fry
Hookers: Matt Thompson, Scott Lawson, George McGuigan, David Nelson, Rob Hawkins
Second Rows:Scott MacLeod, Sean Tomes, Frasier McKensie, Dom Barrow, Callum Green  
Back Row:Ally Hogg, Will Welch, Richard Mayhew, Andy Saull, Mark Wilson, Chris York, Ben Morris, Semisi Taulava

Backs
SH's: Chris Pilrgrim (Signed for Leeds), Warren Fury, Mike Blair, Andy Davies, Ruki Tipuna
Fh's: Joel Hodgson, Rory Clegg, Phil Godman, Craig Willis 
Centres: Juan Pablo Socino, Jamie Helleur, James Fitzpatrick (Signed for Leeds), Alex Crocket, Adam Powell, Danny Barnes, Gonzalo Tiesi, Chris Harris  
Wing: Ryan Shortland, Noah Cato, Zac Kibirige, Sinoti Sinoti, Sean Brown, Tom Penny, Lee Smith
FB's: Tom Catterick, Alex Tait, Simon Hammersley

Out of contract Summer 2014:
Grant Shiells  
Oliver Tomaszczyk  
Gary Strain
Sean Tomes  
Ian Nagle (Trial till end of season)
Harry Spencer (Trial till end of season)
Chris York
Warren Fury  
Joel Hodgson  
Alex Crockett  
Ryan Shortland

How's it looking I'm stuck in town...

3-13 on bbc

How are we playing?

6-13

Falcons broken the line a couple of times but just couldn't keep losing their cool.

Worcester hammering our line...

Worcester score the try.  

Conversion missed.

11-13

Ten minutes to go.

Godman is on...

 

Bbc still says 3-13!!

C'mon Falcons, we're going to throw it away again!!

Irish smashing Quins

Chris York pulled short after a break. We get the penalty!

Godman kicks the penalty

11-16

6 mins to go.

Get in there!!!

Knock on from the kick off and we put ourselves back under pressue.  

For christ sake. Worcester get a penalty right in front and elect to take a scrum...

4 mins to go.

2 mins and Worcester are driving towards Falcons line.

KNOCK ON!

Under a minute to go and Falcons have head and feed.

GET IN THERE!

They've done a Falcons!!

Come on lads dig.in

Big, big win that.  

Phew.....fantastic win.

Puts us above Wasps.

Falcons - 9
Wasps - 8
Worcester - 2

We don't make it easy for ourselves do,we. Big result that one. How.did the.Vickers experiment go?

Worcester look in big trouble now. As well as their loss to Falcons, London Irish had a good win against Harlequins.

GeordieFalcon wrote:We don't make it easy for ourselves do,we. Big result that one. How.did the.Vickers experiment go?

He got mullered for most of it, got substituted, came back on and got mullered again.  Mind you, he did hold out in the last vital scrum so I will forgive him!

Hopefully get the Argie next week, gives us a strong front row

When is shiells back aswell? That'll be some prop stable.. Just need to get Lawson back then bring mcguigan and Nelson through for hooker...

I'll take the win for.the minute though...hopefully get a few more aswell...

Pants. Thought this was on later. Great result, can anyone fill me in?!

Falcons raced to a 13 nill lead, seemed to get a nose bleed because it's been so long since they'd been that high and spent most of the rest of the game clinging on (bar the odd period of relief). That about covers it I think.

Ha ha ha ha class marra...
I just can't understand deanos tactics though Vickers at 1? This is a game we should have been targeting!

Apparently barrow had another good game though..

I see Andy Higgins has now retired. Does that make it 3 so,far this year?

Time to bring JOC and Guildford in

Vickers was meant to have gone well at 1. Can't see him playing there with Lawson at 2.

JOC, Guildford and Beale... they'd love a Brown Ale...

Been curious to hear how Vickers went...initally some not so favourable reports...

I've heard he struggled for most of the game but held up ok when in front of our posts. Fair play to the lad, we needed him and he came through

Ah yeah...absolutely...he did his bit for the team...cant fault him for that. If only he could throw the ball  

Barrow again getting great reviews...think we got some player there...

The radio commentary were talking Barrow up as future captain material at the weekend. He is a player I've watched for a long time through the age grades and I was very pleased that he chose Falcons over some of the other contenders. He's played every game since he joined hasn't he? Deano really seems to rate him and I reckon he just needs a bit more meat on his bones to become a truly standout Premiership forward.

Yeah mate, Deano seems to rate him very highly indeed...and with Wells and Deano in charge im sure he'll not only put on the required bulk...but he'll become a top second row...even if he has been playing at 6 alot aswell...

Team For Bucharest:Nice to see many of the kids getting a run out...and Shortlands back...Whats the crack with Brookes though...he started on fire and has simply been ignored??

Newcastle Falcons:

1 Rob Vickers,
2 George McGuigan,
3 Oliver Tomaszczyk,
4 Fraser McKenzie,
5 Sean Tomes,
6 Chris York,
7 Mark Wilson,
8 Harrison Collins

9 Chris Pilgrim
10 Joel Hodgson
11 Sean Brown
12 Alex Crockett (c),
13 Adam Powell
14 Ryan Shortland
15 Tom Catterick,

Replacements: 16 Kieran Brookes, 17 Gary Strain, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Dom Barrow, 20 James Fitzpatrick, 21 Warren Fury, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Noah Cato

Also, Montanella out for a Month after a cartlage op. That means he's out, Shiels is out, Hallam seemingly not rated, Brookes being tret very curiously after a great start, and strain has not impressed me at all. That leaves Vickers starting at LH!!!??

Is Brookes being saved for the AP maybe?

Still no sign of Lobo????

Good young side, be interesting to see how they get in

Brookes seems to be puzzling everyone Sarge...even on the unoffy it has been suggested he must have an injury niggle, or slight fitness thing which the falcons have kept quiet...as he seemed to be on fire in the bath game etc.

Lobo again is a curious one...has he signed or not...and if he has when is he coming?

It's half time and we're losing 12-10  

Ahhh, but you rallied to scrape home 12-13!

Yeah, looks like it was closer than expected. Reviews say we struggled against a very aggressive powerful Bucharest pack.

Well, least its a win..

I imagine it was close to the Romanian national side which has a beastly pack. There were plenty of kids out there, it'll be a good experience.

I personally don't care if we win or lose in the Amlin, it's a distraction from the league.

Yeah I imagine so. Seems to be still some suggestions that our fitness needs improving aswell...

Yeah at least we're getting a few wins though.

Bucharesti is basically the Romanian national side - it's their best players from their domestic league. Definitely take that win. Their pack is enormous.

Nice to see the Romanian team being competitive though. Didn't they beat one of the french teams last year? I think it was Agen.

Aw we'll take all wins so far this season. And if that turned out.to.be a huge physical pack and we've done ok with it then it's a lesson for alot of our young lads in the pack like Mcguigan and Collins etc