TheRUGBYPaper Falcons win leaves Gloucester propping up the table
HOOKER George McGuigan’s pick-andgo try as the clock went into overtime capped a Newcastle win against a struggling Gloucester side who have been dumped to the bottom of the table.
Two first-half scores from wing Adam Radwan and centre Matias Orlando before replacement McGuigan added the third gave Falcons their fifth win in six and briefly put them at the top of the Premiership table.
It was just reward for a club whose staff – including director of rugby Dean Richards – had to make a monumental effort to get the pitch ready, clearing snow from sunrise as temperatures dropped to minus-ten degrees.
Gloucester’s performance was a similar story to what has troubled them so far this season.
A disconnect in a makeshift 8-9-10 axis, despite returning veteran Joe Simpson, meant the visitors struggled to get speed and execution in their attack while mistakes late on cost them a losing bonus point.
Falcons’ man-of-thematch Mark Wilson said: “It was really important to bounce back. Last week we we’re really disappointed with how we played at Bristol. To get back on the horse is brilliant.”
Newcastle kicked off with real intent and it took just three minutes for them to get on the score sheet.
Playmaker Toby Flood got the turnover and the quick hands of hooker Jamie Blamire found
Radwan, who raced down the right flank from his own 22 and dummied two defenders, including Jonny May, before scoring the end-to-end try.
The Cherry & Whites struggled early on with a slow lineout and a lack of momentum in the loose.
Young Welsh fly-half Lloyd Evans was often left going into contact or playing to a flat line of backs.
Newcastle extended their lead after some excellent work by ever-present skipper Wilson, who created a tur nover to la y the platform w hich allo wed Orlando to dar t through a hole left by Gloucester lock Matt Garv ey and scor e under the posts.
Falcons’ quic k line speed was making life difficult for Gloucester No.9 Simpson but their penalty count started to undo the Geordies.
A deep touchfinder from a penalty put Gloucester onto the fi ve-metre line and r eturning England wing May got on the end of the forward surge to lea p over the whitewash for his 66th try in 100 Premiership appearances – and his first for the west country side since a gainst Ex eter in May 2017.
Newcastle’s intensity went up a notc h and they put to gether 31 phases before play was stopped by the referee due to medics on the pitch.
Evans nar rowed the score to 12-10 with a penalty in the 52nd minute but the first half-hour of the second half was lac klustre with both sides racking up penalties and lacking the ex ecution of earlier on.
Gloucester’s best chance to take the lead was scuppered after six phases in Falcons’ 22-metr e zone when blindside Alex Craig lost the ball.
Ex-Carlisle and Tynedale f ly-half Br ett Connon’s penalty kic k on the 70th minute went wide but he r ectified the miss when hook er Henry Walker conceded a penalty for being off his feet.
A break by Radwan past May then set-up McGuigan to round-off Falcons’ win, their first a t home to Gloucester in the lea gue for four seasons.