Newcastle Falcons - 2019 to 2020 Championship - Closed

First topic message reminder :

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Dave Walder
Forwards Coach: Micky Ward
Defence Coach: Nick Easter
Attack Coach: Dave Walder
Lineout Coach: Scott Macleod
Skills Coach: Mark Laycock

Current Squad:
Forwards
Props:
LH - Sam Lockwood, Adam Brocklebank, Trevor Davison,
Conrad Cade (Senior Academy), Phil Brantingham (Senior Academy)
TH - Rodney Ah You, Logo Mulipola, Mark Tampin, Mike Daniels,
Oscar Caudle  TH(Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Hookers: Kyle Cooper, George McGuigan, Jamie Blamire, Charlie Maddison

Second Rows: Sean Robinson, Darren Barry, Toby Salmon, Greg Peterson,
Will Montgomery (Senior Academy), Freddie Lockwood (Senior Academy), Bailey Ransom (Senior Academy)

Back Row:
6&7's: Mark Wilson, Will Welch, Gary Graham, Jon Hardie,
Guy Graham (Senior Academy), Rob Farrar (Senior Academy), Josh Basham (Senior Academy), Harry Hill (Senior Academy),
8: Philip van der Walt, Nemani Negusa, Calum Chick,
Tom Marshall (Senior Academy), Charlie Richards (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Backs
SH's: Micky Young, Sam Stuart
Callum Pascoe (Senior Academy & Tynedale), Cameron Nordi Kelemeti (Senior Academy), James Elliott (Senior Academy)

Fh's: Joel Hodgson, Toby Flood, Brett Connon, Tim Swiel, Joel Matavesi
Will Haydon Wood (Senior Academy & Tynedale)

Centres: Matias Orlandi, Gareth Owen, Ben Stevenson, George Wacokecoke,
Charlie Wilson (Senior Academy - At Durham UNi)), Chidera Obonna (Senior Academy)

Wing: Sinoti Sinoti , Adam Radwan, Cooper Vuna
Morgan Passman (Senior Academy),

FB's: Alex Tait, Tom Arscott,

Players unconfirmed:
Seb De Chaves - Only has a one year deal
Jon Welsh - Injuries mean he hasnt played for nearly 2 years.
Connor Collett - has he signed permanently for Doncaster

Wow this one is moving quickly - another try for Falcons

and converted to take the lead again

BBC is slooooooow. Still 15-20 on there!

Yep - flashscore is pretty close to real-time

Score to Dragons! I'm on flashscore now, thanks Heaf.

Try for Howard, converted by O'Brien.

Score for Newcastle as I type this. Insane!

This sounds like real end to end stuff 27 all now ...

now 29-27 ...

In the second half we've had tries on 41 mins, 49, 52, 57 and 59. Good play or poor defence?!

Must be an element of poor defence surely?

Great result if we get four tries from this, and even better if we also stay within a score.

Looks like probably 6 or 7 the way they are wracking them up at the moment Mikey

Yep, you're probably right Heaf. Was expecting a drubbing due to our injury list. About 50% out, so we've send a second string with some first teamers on the bench for a rest. And out 2nd string is probably about as strong as most teams' 3rd string! But they're having a good crack here so I'll be chuffed if we get something out of it. Jackman isn't afraid to target games and seems to want to put all his eggs in the home game basket, so something from this one would be great.

Maybe they've stopped for a breather - no scores for 5 mins ...

Pen for Falcons ... 32-27

I can't watch!

Final score 32-27 - looks like a good result for Dragons

It's over! Ok, I would have taken a BP loss before the game so pretty happy with that.

2nd half we didn't come out of the changing rooms whilst the dragon's came out spewing fire. We scraped to a win there. Gary Graham stood out for me at 7 physical tough a nuisance and scored. But the game was gash.

2nd string Falcons side with some playing for the first time this season. Was never going to be a drubbing but I imagine DR was far from impressed.

True but it was just a drab affair at times Sgt.

Gary Graham was miles ahead of any other falcon. If he plays like that then he can certainly be pushing for a starting spot.

The biggest issue was we just drifted side to side with the ball to often...through hands then back again. Dear Lord.

No one took the ball hard at pace running angles or lines. Burrows showed nothing there and Witty neither.

Our pack be it the 1st or 2nds are missing genuine du per truck carriers who can make big inroads.

Whats happened to fonua.  He CAN do that when he holds on to the ball.

And Joel Hodgson also confirmed he's behind Willis and flood.

Newcastle Falcons team to face Bordeaux-Begles (Saturday, 6.30pm French time, 5.30pm UK time, Stade Chaban-Delmas)

15 Alex Tait
14 Chris Harris
13 Maxime Mermoz
12 Josh Matavesi
11 Adam Radwan
10 Toby Flood
9 Sam Stuart

1 Rob Vickers
2 Scott Lawson
3 Jon Welsh
4 Calum Green
5 Sean Robinson
6 Will Welch (captain)
7 Gary Graham
8 Ryan Burrows

Replacements
16 Ben Sowrey
17 Sami Mavinga
18 Scott Wilson
19 Glen Young
20 Mark Wilson
21 Michael Young
22 Cameron Cowell
23 Craig Willis
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)

Is the ref the former Leicester 9?

Driver wrote:Is the ref the former Leicester 9?

Yes. Been working his way up for a couple of years as far as I'm aware.

21-20 win.... What a great result!!!

Falcons continue to impress.

Very good result, I'll take that. Looking good for qualification at this stage.

Apparently Gary Graham was outstanding again as was Ryan Burrows at 8.

Also they say our tactical kicking was top class....

Chris Harris, the Falcons centre has been called up into the Scotland squad for the AIs.

I have to say that myself and other Scottish posters don't really know much about him other than he has been playing regularly and presumably well for you guys.

Could you enlighten us a bit, is he an international star in the making who has been massively overlooked up to this point?

Decent AP centre at 13 and ok wing. Good defence, pretty quick and quite strong. Not sure he's Int class but fair play to the lad. He's around 26ish I think and was a late starter in the Falcons side.

Well hopefully he grabs his opportunity. Sometimes the late developers appreciate the chance they get and want it a bit more.

As Sgt said.
Tall lean lad, that belies his strength. Runs good lines, and is pacy. VERY strong defence..put in Samoan style tackles at times.

As I mentioned on the Scottish thread though...time will tell if he is a good AP centre...or able to go to the next level.

And if he plays against Australia and NZ, theres not much bigger tests....

I would echo with what others have said, I reckon he has done very well to get an international call up, decent enough player but I a not sure how much he will improve your side.

Deano going to be annoyed about losing a EQP player.

An academy one at that......only if he gets a cap though I guess?

Sgt_Pooly wrote:An academy one at that......only if he gets a cap though I guess?

True.

INB4 he gets a single cap v Samoa and that's it. God that would be annoying.

Yea it would but it would amazing for the lad. I'm sure DR won't begrudge him that, it's every lads dream to play Int rugby (Well maybe not for Scotland )

Sgt_Pooly wrote:Yea it would but it would amazing for the lad. I'm sure DR won't begrudge him that, it's every lads dream to play Int rugby (Well maybe not for Scotland )

At least you should be fine with Mermoz and Flood now fit.

We've got plenty of cover in the centres. Socino has been on fire and we have Matavesi and Waldouck waiting in the wings. It's prop that I'm concerned about and have been for about 5 years now.

We also have young Stevenson coming through at 13 who is another even taller centre and has impressed me when Ive seen him.

God knows what has happened to Penny?

Agree Prop has been the issue. Dean has been unlucky with Lockwood getting injured so quickly and both Wilsons being sicknotes...however the writing was on the wall with those two and Dean should have managed the situation a little better.

However I do believe I see a light at the end of the tunnel in that whole situation.

Anyone going this weekend?

Fancy us to upset Leicester tbh.

I think it would be more an upset if they won Driver, especially on recent form.

Think we'll go

Goneva , Tait , DTVM
Harris , Socino
Flood , Takalua

Vickers, Cooper , Welsh (Is he fit?)
Green, Witty
Wilson , Latu , Welch

Still be a tough game?

Wonder if i can get a decent price on Jonny May to score and Newcastle to win?

I think you could be right. Like to see Mermoz and Burrows involved

Yeah, I'm hoping Mermoz bursts onto the scene soon tbh. Could be a real catalyst for our back line to get firing.

Surprised Sean Robinson is in at 5 but other than that it's how i predicted.


Jonny May to score anytime and Falcons win is 7/2 with Paddy Power for any gamblers out there.

Sorry Sinoti in over DT also

Good looking team, should be tight. I'm going for us by 5.

Only place I see us really struggling is in the scrum with Tiger props a big step up. Past that I think I prefer most of our side tbh, certainly the centres and backrow.

How's Hammersley doing?

Has he returned from his injury? also do Falcons fans think he can get himself back into the Falcons starting lineup?

I don't think hes kicked on as much as we thought he would but hes played ok.

Tait has been excellent though and will be hard to drop.