Newcastle Falcons vs. Bath Rugby 03/09/11

Let the (end) games begin!

Newcastle

15 Greg Goosen
14 Luke Fielden
13 Luke Eves
12 Jamie Helleur
11 Alex Tait

10 Jimmy Gopperth
09 Chris Pilgrim

01 Grant Shiells
02 Rob Vickers
03 Ashley Wells
04 James Hudson (c)
05 Andrew Van der Heijden
06 Mark Wilson
07 Will Welch
08 Richard Mayhew

Replacements:

16 Joe Graham
17 Dan Frazier
18 James Hall
19 Tim Swinson
20 Ally Hogg
21 Jordi Pasqualin
22 James Fitzpatrick
23 Tom Catterick

Bath Rugby

15. Nick Abendanon
14. Matt Carraro
13. Dan Hipkiss
12. Ben Williams
11. Tom Biggs

10. Sam Vesty
9. Michael Claassens

1. David Flatman
2. Pieter Dixon
3. Kane Palma-Newport
4. Ryan Caldwell
5. Stuart Hooper (c)
6. Ben Skirving
7. Carl Fearns
8. Simon Taylor

Replacements

16. Ross Batty
17. Nathan Catt
18. Duncan Bell
19. Dave Attwood
20. Guy Mercer
21. Mark McMillan
22. Paul Roberts
23. Jack Cuthbert

Falcons by a score.

Easy peasy.

Come on Falcons you can do it! I actually think they can if they play intelligently and can pressure the Bath line out. Vesty's kicking from hand has limited range so there is a definite option to play tactically and pressure the Bath line out in their half of the field. Must be careful not to give the Bath back three easy ball to run back and must slow down ball to Vesty as although, he's not a natural ten he still has an excellent passing game.

No chance

Falcons 15 - Bath 18

Anyone seen this Cheetahs centre Ulys play before? Aparently he's a bruiser.

Deal just about done and dusted.

I saw that news this morning, I'd not heard of him but from the report I read he seems a bit of a unit at centre and gives some go forward ball in hand.

Yeah thas the impresion i got...and thats exactly what we need. He scored for the cheetahs against the lions in the last tour apparently.

I have to say, i'm not too sure about the Bath backs, we seem to have a England esque crash ball type of midfield, although if they can punch holes for the likes of Biggs then it could be interesting.

I think you have a better pair of locks than us, so if you target the lineout that could bear fruit for you. Will be interesting to see how both teams go, arguably the first season for both where the team is actually the coach's, not a hand me down from the previous.

I just hope that Gopperth lets the ball go wide a bit this season...not just kick kick kick.

Sadly it looks like being a long and dissapointing season for Falcons.

Great win for the Bath boys, but I agree with LondonTiger i think the Falcons & Sale look to be in trouble.

Also if the Falcons did go down can anyone see them coming back up?

What would Falcons do without Gopperth! Strange how subdued the Flacons fans (what there were of them) were. Would have thought, new season, fresh beinnings, get behind the team!
Bath pack schooled Newcastle, it wasn't a pretty game.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Great win for the Bath boys, but I agree with LondonTiger i think the Falcons & Sale look to be in trouble.

Also if the Falcons did go down can anyone see them coming back up?

There were just 3,000 spectators. You just cannot see them coming back up if they do go down, while following the route set by West Hatlepool and Orrell is quite possible.

Northern rugby continues to produce players of quality, but without the spectators Premiership Rugby is struggling north of Leicester.

The Falcons are a waste of a Premiership place (lack of ambition, fans etc...), the sooner they go down and either the Cornish Pirates or Bristol get up the better.

From what I hear the Bath pack played well and KPN had a good game.
Seeing as our lack of a hard nosed front 5 has been a bit of a weakness in the past few seasons, that bodes well I think. Bring on Sarries!

I hope that will be a bit of a kick up the backside for Newcastle, if not it could be a long season for them.

Newcastle have picked up a big boshing Saffa centre so maybe that will offer some gainline relief for their beleaguered pack. Newcastle need to follow the Chiefs example and focus on their set piece with physical runners, keep your own ball and slow the oppositions from the set piece and you have a platform, a couple of big runners and some clever tactical kicking and you have a foothold in the game.

"The Falcons are a waste of a Premiership place (lack of ambition, fans etc...), the sooner they go down and either the Cornish Pirates or Bristol get up the better"

Who's this goon?

Uys is a top signing, can imagine him been one of the best 13's in the prem. He's a great carrier and top defender, will give out midfield some real go forward.

I speak my mind, Newcastle have done nothing in the Prem for a long time, I'd love to see the Pirates in the Prem, real rugby country Sgt_Poo!

What have Bath done.....

Ouch.

What have Bath done?

You cannot be serious!

The Falcons have had their chance it's time to admit that Rugby Union hasn't worked in the North East, move over and let a real club with ambition and passionate supporters into the prem.

Bath have hardly set the world alight since Falcons won the Premiership. A clubs league status isn't defined by their crowds fellla.

A HC, Euro Challenge cup, several finals & semi’s

ATT 3650 for a top flight club that is pathetic

Whilst the Falcons might not be at the top of the league....do not forget what we bring to the league...in developing players.....

If we can manage to keep hold of a few and build on it...then we would be up there....

I actually think we'll come good...poor performance on Sat yes but we do actually have some good players.

Wasn't that the same season as Falcons won the Prem?!?

It's healthy for the league to have clubs from all parts of the country. The north east have produced some quality players over the years and Newcastle falling out of the Prem could really hinder this.

Crowds arnt great but the North East is football. The South west will always have bigger crowds as they have no decent football teams to contest with.

"Wasn't that the same season as Falcons won the Prem?!? "

My bad, think it might have been the season or two after

At Tigers we have the following who were developed by Falcons:

Tait
Flood
Young
Woods
Parling
Brookes

Add in people like Wilson, May, Noon, Wilkinson, Dickson, Dowson etc - it is obvious that Newcastle are able to develop players. However a lack of finances (due to low crowsds and no sugar daddy any more) and a lack of Heineken Cup rugby means that holding on to young promising players is diffcult.

I really do fear that should they be relegated Newcastle would struggle to remain as a professional club.

Should we get relegated, I'm not entriely sure that Kingston Park meets the minimum requirements now.

3000 is worryingly small, it'll pick up as the season goes on, but that figure actually hits me in the pit of my stomach. I really wish I could go to more home games, but living in the SW I could only get to away games at the moment.

It sounds churlish, but to a certain extent I blame Alan Tait and Jimmy Goppeth. We play such a turgidly boring game that it is turning the punters off. If things don't change soon, our luck will run out...

Don't get me wrong I don't or wouldn't wish relegation on anyone (apart from Glaws, used to be Bristol but that was too easy) but what have The Falcons done since they bought the title in 98! their style of rugby is dull, ok you've given use some decent players in the past (noon not being one of them) but really this trend can't go on.

Noon was a class act, very underated.

Newcastle have done ok since winning the Prem. A 1/4 HC and a couple of cup wins. That's not a basis for a valid point I'm afraid. Nobody has the god given right to be in the Prem, hopefully Falcons can pick up a little after a poor showing.

"bought the title"

Jesus you talk some utter rubbish, you're either a WUM or a complete idiot. Which team doesn't "buy" the title?!? Haven't Bath went down that very same route and I still imagine they'll finish outside the top 2.

But Newcastle were the 1st club to spend a fortune on players wages when the game went pro due to a rich sugar daddy.

So they did buy the title, one way or another.

But a club can't survive if their gate is just over 3000. FACT!

They were one of the reasons a salary cap was put into place.

A Wum then....

No, believe it or not my opinion differs to yours, Newcastle will cease to be unless they buck their ideas up and start to play decent rugby, how much is a ticket to Kingston Park?

This 'bought the title' phrase often comes from the fans of the more established clubs who conveniently forget that in the 'amatuer' days they 'helped' the more promising names from all over the country to come and play for them. Of course, that's not 'buying' sucess is it? how could it be in those days, no payments made.

So the likes of Bath would have been jam packed full of lads who were born and bred within 5 miles of Bath - obviously - otherwise this 'bought the title' will only be a parcel of bitter nonsense.

If I sound grumpy, it because I was there on Saturday. The Falcons were sh1te, the Ref AND the linesman must have been watching a different game to the one that was going on, but having said that Bath totally deserved their win., all set peices were efficient and the backs took the right deciscions more times than not.

Looking grim.

Pooly,

Dont worry yourself....we have offered just as much to English rugby since professionalism came in than Bath has. We are a conveyor belt of talent....bath arent even that - a small town on the welsh border.

Once we get up and running this season i honestly believe we will be a match for most teams.
Add in our new Samoan monster and Ulys at 13...and more pieces of the puzzle come together.

Can't wait to see Uys in the jersey. Had a belting S15 and always seems to get over the advantage line which is something we don't have.

Bath are an honest club.

I wish Newcastle well for the rest of the season apart from when we stuff you again of course.

And so are Newcastle Hersh.

Most Falcons fans feel the same...that we have been poor for a long time. Some of the rugby last year was utter tripe.....

Yet ironically we have some very talented players - and again a nucleus of youngsters that will undoubtedly leave and go onto bigger and better things.

Geodie I didn't imply that they weren't, it was other posters saying Bath were using underhand tactics a few years ago, as if we would!

Now who would imply a thing like that....

HERSH wrote:Don't get me wrong I don't or wouldn't wish relegation on anyone (apart from Glaws, used to be Bristol but that was too easy) but what have The Falcons done since they bought the title in 98! their style of rugby is dull, ok you've given use some decent players in the past (noon not being one of them) but really this trend can't go on.

Bought the title? You do realise that Bath have been bought out by a billionare and are in the process of trying to do the same don't you?

Bath do seem to be trying to buy Tigers these days (pretty much the same as trying to buy success), thankfully Tom Croft laughed off their attempts to recruit him and it was quite amusing when Stankovitch did the same. Good pension plans for Moodos, Hipkiss and the Vest though.

Cumbrian wrote:

HERSH wrote:Don't get me wrong I don't or wouldn't wish relegation on anyone (apart from Glaws, used to be Bristol but that was too easy) but what have The Falcons done since they bought the title in 98! their style of rugby is dull, ok you've given use some decent players in the past (noon not being one of them) but really this trend can't go on.

Bought the title? You do realise that Bath have been bought out by a billionare and are in the process of trying to do the same don't you?

We're making hard work of it then by signing players like Donald instead of Carter!

It was a good solid start but I'd wish we'd score more tries! being a Bath fan is hard work sometimes.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:It was a good solid start but I'd wish we'd score more tries! being a Bath fan is hard work sometimes.

Hard? You're talking to a bunch of Falcon's supporters here, eeeh, some of you lot don't know you're born!

Fair point

Cumbrian wrote:

HERSH wrote:Don't get me wrong I don't or wouldn't wish relegation on anyone (apart from Glaws, used to be Bristol but that was too easy) but what have The Falcons done since they bought the title in 98! their style of rugby is dull, ok you've given use some decent players in the past (noon not being one of them) but really this trend can't go on.

Bought the title? You do realise that Bath have been bought out by a billionare and are in the process of trying to do the same don't you?

I think he's actually ONLY worth about £850m, so not a billionaire....

And remember just cos he's a billionaire...or a midgys "ahem" off it, doesnt mean he's going to spend!.

Mike Ashley at Newcastles other joke of a team is proof of that!

If you (Falcons) don't start to put it together soon it is going to be dire and I still believe Alan Tait is a major part of the problem. I just don't rate him as a head coach. There is undoubtedly talent in the side season on season despite the player losses but I don't think the movement of players away from the club is down to money alone. It has to be down to the structure, playing and management styles as well.

Union in the north has never been well supported in spectator numbers, it's always been strong for participation which is why talent continues to emerge. We have massive soccer followings to compete with from a limited population base and in Leeds and the North West Rugby League adding to the competition for spectators. I can't see that changing dramatically. It's a chicken and egg situation, we need successful clubs to draw what's available in crowd numbers. Leeds 1st Championship game had only 2500 in the stands, about 1500 less than when playing at home in the Premiership. Not good but comparable to Newcastle. Don't have an idea about Sale's attendances.

Sale seem to have money to spend but it remains to be seen if that does the trick. I think all the northern clubs need to re-appraise the way they do things and get players playing for pride first and money second. That requires special kind of management. It's what Back couldn't give Leeds.