Collins double keeps Saints in the running
TOM Collins’ deadly first-half double kept Northampton’s play-off challenge alive as they destroyed Newcastle with a 10-try blitz.
The 28-year-old winger is leaving Franklin’s Gardens at the end of the campaign but helped Saints march to a thumping bonus-point win in their final regular-season game.
Whether or not they will end the campaign in the top four to qualify for the play-offs remains to be seen.
Northampton finished on 58 points but must hope that London Irish do not win their final two matches to leapfrog them into fourth spot.
Significantly, if the Exiles lose at Saracens today, then Saints will be secure in the top four.
Head coach Phil Dowson said: “This weekend will be the first time in a long time I’ve supported Sarries. But it’s out of our hands – London Irish can take our spot in fourth – so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Newcastle’s long-serving full-back Alex Tait is retiring at the end of the season and came off the bench to make his 270th Falcons appearance and final outing on home soil.
A huge home defeat – shipping 10 tries – was a sad way to bow out for Tait and a number of other Falcons stalwarts such as Will Welch and lineout coach Scott MacLeod who are also leaving the club.
Defeat confirmed Newcastle will finish rock-bottom and interim head coach Mark Laycock said: “This result can’t take away from the accolades that have rightly been given to Taity and Welchy, because they’ve had great careers here for more than a decade and a half.
“What they’ve done for this club isn’t about what happened here, and as disappointing as it was,
we can still celebrate their own success over that time and give them the great send-off that they deserve.
“The emotional turmoil of the last few weeks probably took its toll tonight.”
Laycock will go back to his old job when Alex Codling arrives as Dave Walder’s permanent successor as head coach. He added: “I’ll now revert back to my role of attack coach and backs coach.”
Flying winger Adam Radwan produced a spectacular diving finish in the right corner to put the Falcons ahead inside the fourth minute.
Yet the visitors – buoyed by another outstanding performance from captain Lewis Ludlam – gradually took complete control to lead 28-5
at the break. Scrum-half Alex Mitchell sauntered through a gap to level matters before Collins grabbed his first, collecting an errant Newcastle offload and hacking the ball forward to score.
Collins then finished strongly for his second and Northampton’s third before back rower Juarno Augustus grabbed a fourth on the stroke of half-time.
That secured the bonus point and Dowson’s men claimed a fifth in the 45th minute when prop Paul Hill finished off a delightful move. Fin Smith, who kicked eight conversions
for a 21-point haul, twisted the knife into Newcastle with a sixth a minute after Falcons wing Mateo Carreras was carded for a no-arms clear-out.
Mitchell grabbed his second before Sam Graham, Tommy Freeman and David Ribbans confirmed Northampton’s biggest-ever Premiership win.
A delighted Dowson added: “I thought we were very clinical and executed our gameplan – which we haven’t been particularly good at away from home this season – and were relentless in how we did it.”
are leaving. We’ll make sure that this last period is as enjoyable and successful as possible.”
Dowson’s team have a home friendly against Leicester lined up for Saturday in readiness for a potential play-off game.
Dowson explained: “If we make the top four, it will be three weeks until we play again and that’s a long time.
“The Leicester game sits in that space to give players an opportunity to say goodbye and keep working on our game in a live environment.”