Missed late chances are costly for Falcons
NEWCASTLE boss Dean Richards was left frustrated after Friday’s defeat against Sale, as the Falcons were unable to build on their impressive result against Harlequins last weekend.
The Falcons slipped to a heavy 31-16 at the AJ Bell Stadium, a result which moved Sale up to second in the league.
“There were chances all over the place in the last 15 minutes,” Richards said. “If we could have taken them, it could have been closer.
“They’re a good side. They’re reasonably well drilled but I thought they got lucky with a few of those scrum penalties. But that’s not the reason we lost.”
One positive for Newcastle was Joel Matavesi’s try-scoring Premiership debut, but it was of little consolation to Richards following the loss.
He added: “We pride ourselves in producing players from our academy and long may that continue, but we’re here to celebrate wins.
“Overall, as a team, we weren’t as good as we could have been.”
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson hailed the “world-class” qualities of South Africa scrum-half Faf De Klerk following his side’s victory – and warned there is still more to come from the World Cup winner.
The Sharks, for the time being at least, moved up to second position in the Gallagher Premiership as tries from Marland Yarde, Lood De Jager and Simon Hammersley helped them to an emphatic victory.
D e Klerk was instrumental in the triumph, setting
up the first score with a bullet dangerous, isn’t it? We’ll see where he pass and overall producing goes from there. an excellent display. “At the moment, though, he’s getting
“Faf was superb again, a better platform from the forwards wasn’t he? He’s world-class with the maul and the scrum. as it is right now but he’s But there’s certainly more to come still progressing in the from him.” game. We can still get Sanderson also praised the Sharks quicker ball to him defence as they conceded just one try though,” Sanderson against the Falcons despite being said. under plenty of pressure in the second
“If we can get half. some X-factor He added: “It’s not just in the system, like Manu Tuilagi it’s in the mentality, which is or Rohan what it essentially comes down to. Janse Van “We thought we lacked a little bit of Rensburg in intensity post the Bristol game for a there, they couple of weeks and we’ve been trying get you to get back there. I thought we had it quick ball. last week (against Exeter) and we saw That’s it tonight in spades. when “Line speed and collisions, it was all you’re super there.”
Newcastle boss Dean Richards was left frustrated as they were unable to build on their impressive result against Harlequins last weekend.
“There were chances all over the place in the last 15 minutes,” Richards said. “If we could have taken them, it could have been closer.
“They’re a good side. They’re reasonably well drilled but I thought they got lucky with a few of those scrum penalties. But that’s not the reason we lost.”
One positive for Newcastle was Joel Matavesi’s try-scoring Premiership debut, but it was of little consolation to Richards following the loss.
He added: “We pride ourselves in producing players from our academy and long may that continue, but we’re here to celebrate wins. Overall, as a team, we weren’t as good as we could have been.”
MIKEL Arteta accepted Granit Xhaka’s bizarre error at Burnley as a price of playing out from the back but admitted yesterday’s 1-1 draw leaves Arsenal facing a “really complicated” route into Europe.
Arsenal looked like easing to a comfortable win as they dominated after Pierre-emerick Aubameyang’s sixthminute opener, but seven minutes before the break Xhaka took a short pass from Bernd Leno and inexplicably kicked the ball against Chris Wood, watching in horror as it flew into the net.
It was another dismal moment for Xhaka, sent off in December when Burnley won at the Emirates Stadium, with the Swiss midfielder now guilty of eight errors leading directly to goals since the start of the 2016-17 season – the most of any outfield player in the Premier League.
“It is the way we play and the way we want to play,” Arteta said. “We have to know the risk and the rules for the way we want to play. It is what it is.”
Arsenal, who could have been out of sight by that point, did not recover from the incident until a dramatic finale, in which Burnley substitute Erik Pieters was involved in two Arsenal penalty shouts – one not given and another overturned by VAR – while Dani Ceballos hit the post in stoppage time.
Arteta was left incensed that Arsenal did not get a penalty when the ball hit Pieters on the arm at close range as he challenged Nicolas Pepe, but accepted VAR was right to overturn the red card and penalty awarded by Andre Marriner when the Dutchman blocked a Pepe shot on the line with his shoulder.
“It is absolutely obvious and clear, there is no debate,” the Gunners manager said of the first incident. “If that’s not a penalty someone must explain what a penalty is in this league.”
The draw means Arsenal have taken only eight points from their last seven games in the league, with this a fresh setback just a week after the encouraging 3-1 win at Leicester, leaving them deep in mid-table as the fight for Europe plays out above.
“It is really complicated,” Arteta said when asked if their opportunity of qualifying via the league had gone.
“I have a feeling with the way that we are playing at the moment that we can win any game, but if you are giving something to the opponent anything can happen. This is where we have the biggest margin for improvement.”
It was a fifth successive home league draw for Burnley, who might have turned it into three points themselves as Wood shot straight at Leno when clean through while Pieters – who seemed to be everywhere in his 27-minute cameo – also tested the Arsenal goalkeeper with an opportunistic volley.
While the focus will fall on Xhaka for Wood’s equaliser, Burnley boss Sean Dyche insisted his side earned their luck.
“They started brightly,” Dyche said. “We weren’t miles off but our purpose and conviction showed in the second half. We let in a soft goal but we pressed really well for our goal and that was part of our intention in the team performance.
“Against popular belief we always just wait for our chance.
“We try and get after teams on the front foot.”
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