News: Saints vs Newcastle Falcons - Match Preview

After a disappointing loss to Wasps away at Adams Park, the Saints now host a resurgent Newcastle. Things haven't been too good for our visitors this season - poor early-season results leading to a relegation battle, another long-term injury to their best known player and not forgetting the small matter of a winding-up petition against them from HMRC for an unpaid National Insurance bill.

Northampton Saints v Newcastle Falcons

Saturday, 28^th February 2009 – 3pm

Match Preview

By Simon Hendy

Newcastle and Bristol have been widely identified as the two teams in the most perilous financial position, and until very recently were fighting it out for bottom spot - indeed, Newcastle were my tip for the drop at the start of the season. But, after having strung together three consecutive wins for the first time in three seasons they are now basically safe from relegation and will actually overtake us should they become the first visitors to win at the Gardens this season.

Last week it was mid-table Saracens turn to make the trip up north, and they came away with just a losing bonus point.

While watching the Bristol game I was uncertain as to whether Newcastle were actually playing really well, given that Bristol were so woefully poor. But seeing that result alongside their two close home wins against Gloucester and Saracens, you do have to believe that they might have turned a corner.

Newcastle have put out the same team for the last couple of matches and there are a few familiar faces in there, but also quite a few that you probably don't know. There are a couple of former Saints - "Big" John Rudd (whose try helped beat Saracens) and the less well known prop Jon Golding. The other reasonably familiar names are England centre Jamie Noon (although whether or not he plays against us depends on whether Martin Johnson keeps hold of him), fly-half Tom May, All Black prop Carl Hayman and former Gloucester No.8 Adam Balding. To be brutally honest, I haven't really heard of most of the rest of them.

Tom May impressed in the Bristol game, running the game well, and his place kicking was absolutely superb. The Falcons second row of Tim Swinson and Geoff Parling also caught the eye in that game, being particularly mobile and comfortable with the ball in hand. One of them even side-stepped! They also have a couple of youngsters to keep an eye out for - Alex Tait and Rory Clegg, although Clegg won’t be at the Gardens as he’ll be playing for the England U20’s on Friday night. He is their new young fly half, and although he is being kept out of the side by May at the moment, does appear to show some promise. Some early season mistakes might have led to unwanted attention, but it's all part of the learning process when playing at a high level at such a young age.

The game I saw the Falcons play at Bristol may not have been typical given the abject capitulation of their opponents, but they did play fairly attractive rugby. Yes there was a bit of the aimless aerial ping-pong we've come to know and "love" this season, but they did run the ball and try and keep things moving. They weren't afraid to take the ball into the backs and spread it wide, although a surprising number of passes did miss the winger and go straight into touch. Hayman is a big lump in the front row, but I must admit that I didn't notice him demolishing the Bristol pack - not that I'm any kind of expert on the dark arts of the scrum. I'd say that he looked solid rather than destructive.

It's a preview of a Newcastle game, so I am legally obliged to mention Jonny Wilkinson. He's on the mend from his knee injury and has spent some time in the States working with the same highly respected consultant who helped Richard Hill and our own Sean Lamont (and many others). Newcastle don't give out injury bulletins so there is no public  word on when he may return - some time in March seems to be the best guess. Pretty much the first we'll know about it is when his name appears on the team sheet one week, but I'd be very surprised if it was this week.

As for the Saints, our black and white season continues – unbeaten at home but winless away. The losing bonus point against Wasps doubled our season total, elevating us to merely joint last in the bonus point stakes. That's probably the most worrying part of the away form - not just that we're losing, but that we've lost so many games without picking up those vital bonus points. Having said that, unlike the relegation year there haven't been too many games where we've been totally out of it and there are some that we could / should have won. With our remaining away matches being Worcester, Irish and Sale, we have to target the next away game at Worcester to break the duck. Irish away (live on TV in the St Patrick's Day extravaganza from the Majedski) will be hard, as will Sale.

I don't play the "guess the team" game as I just take it as read that Jim Mallinder and co will pick the best Saints team for the game. We'll be without Dylan Hartley and presumably Ben Foden as they make the trip to Croke Park with England (or, in Hartley’s case, possibly sit out with injury), as well as losing the fit-again Euan Murray and Scott Gray to Scotland.

I don't think that this game will be anywhere near as easy as it might have seemed a month ago as Newcastle are finally showing some form, but I predict a Saints win. We probably won't score a bonus point, but then I don't think we'll let Newcastle get one off us either.