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Chris Noakes kicks London Irish to victory over Newcastle Chris Noakes kicks London Irish to victory over Newcastle
(about 3 hours later)
The match was billed as a St Patrick’s Party and both sides let their hair down. Three tries in the first half secured victory for London Irish and despite two late scores and a defiant performance by the visitors they were worthy winners with Newcastle unable to go home with the two points that would have condemned London Welsh to relegation. The match was billed as a St Patrick’s Party and after a difficult winter both sides let their hair down. Three tries in the first half secured victory for London Irish and Newcastle’s failure to travel home with at least two points means that London Welsh survive in the Premiership, if only for 24 hours and only thanks to a slide-rule calculation.
The Madejski’s football team Reading may be off to Wembley in search of FA Cup glory next month but there has been little to cheer here for the followers of the rugby tenants. Until this weekend Irish had won only two home games in the Premiership. They started the game, though, with the brakes well and truly off. Welsh, though, could have been condemned to the drop with the game ending in frantic fashion. Five minutes from time two replacements, Irish’s Canadian flanker Jebb Sinclair and Newcastle’s Italian international lock Josh Furno were sent to the sin-bin after a clash on the home 22. Dean Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby, claimed Furno’s dismissal was a “disgrace” as Sinclair had punched him. The citing commissioner is sure to take an interest in this one.
Newcastle were unable to get out of their half before the prop Halani Aulika found an open door in the visitors’ defensive wall to score the first try of the afternoon. Richards said: “It was a ridiculous decision, Furno did nothing and was punched by their player. This cost us the game as their player should have had a red card.”
It soon got worse for the Falcons. The Irish pack drove towards the line from a lineout and the scrum-half Scott Steele eluded a despairing tackle from Kane Thompson to score a second try. After the pair had gone to the bin Chris Noakes converted a penalty that took his side beyond Newcastle’s reach, but there was still time for Adam Powell to score a fine breakaway try converted from the touchline by Tom Catterick to give the home crowd a nervous last minute.
The afternoon did not run all smoothly for Irish, though. Shane Geraghty was shown a yellow card by Greg Gardner for deliberate offside when Falcons made a foray into the home 22. But Tom Catterick, who had just landed their first points with a penalty, opted to kick to the corner and 14-man Irish snuffed out the danger. By the time the fly-half returned to the field Newcastle had been unable to inflict any more damage on the Exiles. Glenn Delaney, the London Irish head coach, said: “We just couldn’t get the ball in the second half and they could have won it three times over. We had to defend for our lives. We got off to an absolute flyer but after that got no ball.
Irish, though, were reduced to 14 men again moments later when their hooker David Paice was shown a yellow card and this time Catterick kicked the penalty. The Newcastle lock Thompson was then relieved to see Geraghty’s long-distance penalty just drift wide after he had been penalised for a high tackle on Andrew Fenby. “We treated this as a cup final so we’ll take the win as it was one game in the calendar that we just had to get a result.”
Fenby took no time to recover, however and soon afterwards Geraghty and Eoin Griffin combined to help the full-back dive over in the corner for Irish’s third try with the last move of the first half. The Madejski’s football team Reading are off to Wembley in search of FA Cup glory next month but there has been little to cheer here for the followers of the rugby tenants. The director of rugby, Brian Smith, departed abruptly at the start of the year and until Saturday Irish had won two home games in the Premiership.
Things got no better for Newcastle after the break when their wing Sinoti Sinoti, who had looked a handful in the first half, squeezed over in the corner only for the TMO Stuart Terheege to rule that Adam Powell’s pass to Sinoti had gone forward. Catterick helped chip away at the Irish lead with another penalty and the Exiles found it difficult to get into the Newcastle half but Irish’s defence remained solid. They started the game, though, with the brakes well and truly off. Newcastle were unable to get out of their half before the prop Halani Aulika found an open door in the visitors’ defensive wall to score the first try.
It was 15 minutes before time when Newcastle at last escaped those defensive shackles with the replacement Chris Harris forcing his way over in the corner. But there was no way back for the Falcons. When Irish’s Canadian replacement Jebb Sinclair and Newcastle’s Italian international Josh Furno had a bit of a fracas they both ended up in the sin-bin and Chris Noakes kicked the penalty that put Irish out of reach. It soon got worse for the Falcons. The Irish pack drove towards the line from a lineout and the scrum-half, Scott Steele, eluded a despairing tackle from Kane Thompson to score a second try.
Powell scored a late try for the Falcons and Catterick converted from the touchline to give the home crowd a nervy last minute but Irish survived. Shane Geraghty was shown a yellow card by Greg Gardner for deliberate offside when Falcons made a foray into the home 22 but Catterick, who had just landed their first points with a penalty, opted to kick to the corner and 14-man Irish snuffed out the danger. By the time the fly-half returned to the field Newcastle had been unable to inflict any more damage.
LONDON IRISH Fenby; Lewington (Ojo 61), Griffin, Sheridan, Fowlie; Geraghty (Noakes 70), Steele (Allinson 66); Court (Parr 70), Paice (Stevens 43), Aulika (Halavatau 61), Skivington (capt), Rouse, Gilsenan (Sinclair 62), Cowan, Guest (Narraway 66). Irish, though, were soon reduced to 14 men again when their hooker, David Paice, was shown a yellow card and this time Catterick kicked the penalty. The Newcastle lock Thompson was then relieved to see Geraghty’s long-distance penalty just drift wide after he had been penalised for a high tackle on Andrew Fenby.
Tries Aulika, Steele, Fenby Cons Geraghty 2 Pen Noakes. Fenby took no time to recover, however, and Geraghty and Eoin Griffin combined to help the full-back dive over in the corner for Irish’s third try with the last move of the first half.
Sin-bin Geraghty 22; Paice 33; Sinclair 75. Things got no better for Newcastle after the break when their wing Sinoti Sinoti, who had looked a handful in the first half, squeezed over in the corner only for the TMO, Stuart Terheege, to rule that Powell’s pass to Sinoti had gone forward.
NEWCASTLE Tait; Cato (Harris 59), Tiesi (Socino 52), Powell, Sinoti; Catterick, Tipuna (Davies 66); Vickers (Rogers 59), Lawson, Brookes (Orlandi 51), Thompson, Barrow (Furno 59), Mayhew, Welch (capt), Wilson (Saull 70). Catterick helped chip away at the lead with another penalty and the Exiles found it difficult to get into the Newcastle half but Irish’s defence remained solid.
Tries Harris, Powell Con Catterick Pens: Catterick 3. It was 15 minutes before time when Newcastle at last escaped those defensive shackles with the replacement Chris Harris forcing his way over in the corner. It set up the tensest of finishes.
Sin-bin Furno 75.
Referee G Gardner (London) Attendance 15,731.