Mixed feelings for Falcons despite a win

HEAD coach Dave Walder admitted his joy was not unbridled after Saturday’s 31-19 home victory over Gloucester.

Leicester needed to run in 13 tries at Wasps yesterday to prevent Falcons reaching the semifinals of the Anglo-Welsh Cup – in the end they were on the wrong end of a 50-28 result at the Ricoh Arena.

However, the semi-final will be away from Kingston Park Stadium after Newcastle fell just short on the tries-scored front in their quest for a top-two seeding.

Walder said: “It is mixed feelings, to be honest.

“We are pleased to have secured the bonus-point victory, which was what we set out to do.

“However, the slight downer is the fact our semi-final will be away from home.”

Gloucester, out of the reckoning for the semi-finals, made a fight of it at Kingston Park and scored after just eight minutes with Newcastle looking off the pace.

Ben Morgan rumbled down the touchline virtually unopposed and his inside pass left a simple task for Ben Vellaco, with Owen Williams converting for 7-0.

Newcastle hooker Kyle Cooper (right) grabbed two tries from close-range drives in the 15th and 26th minutes, Toby Flood and Joel Hodgson converting for 14-7.

Cooper smashed through the Gloucester midfield for flanker Mark Wilson to snap up the ball for the Falcons’ third try, converted by Hodgson, just three minutes later.

Four minutes from the break, Gloucester made a spell of pressure count with a great penalty to the corner by Williams and Gareth Evans was driven over - the former converting for 21-14.

The bonus-point try arrived soon after half-time, Vereniki Goneva and Josh Matavesi combining to put Alex Tait through.

Hodgson converted before adding a 46th-minute penalty for 31-14. Matt Scott screamed in for Gloucester’s third try with 15 minutes to go - but Newcastle could not add to their tally late on.

A two-time cup final winner as a Falcons player, Walder (left) added: “We were just a try or two short mathematically of that home semi.”