Newcastle Falcons 14-16 Northampton Saints - Saints hold on for win despite late Falcons try
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Updated 29/10/2023 at 18:15 GMT
On a wet afternoon Kingston Park on, Northampton Saints claimed a battling win over Newcastle Falcons in the Gallagher Premiership. Newcastle scored a late try to set up a grandstand finish, and piled huge pressure on the away side in the closing moments. But Saints kept their discipline and held on for a narrow win on Sunday thanks to Curtis Landgon’s score.
Saints scrum half Tom James and team mates celebrate during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints at Kingston Park on October 29, 2023 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Image credit: Getty Images
Northampton Saints escaped with a sodden first victory of the season in a tight encounter with Newcastle Falcons, who picked up their second successive losing bonus point.
A game for the purists, Tom Pearson produced the decisive moment with 25 minutes to go when he hit Matias Orlando’s inside shoulder before offloading to Curtis Langdon who crashed through three desperate Falcons players to score.
Iwan Stephens did pull one back late on for the hosts, diving over by the touchline after George Hendy was sent to Saints’ sin-bin, but Brett Connon was unable to convert to leave his side trailing.
Newcastle had another chance to win it with the clock in the red but Northampton came up with a crucial turnover to put themselves into the win column for the 2023/24 season.
The hosts have lost their last two games by a combined six points, but are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.
Talking point: Saints ride the maelstrom for morale-boosting win
After Newcastle fell to Gloucester in biblical conditions at Kingston Park last week, everyone was hoping for a dryer afternoon with both sides showing plenty of attacking talent in the backfield.
But the rugby gods had other ideas, rewarding the hardiest of home crowds with a whopping 18 set pieces and 75 kicks from hand with neither side attempting to play any rugby in their own territory, stats that told their own story.
But Saints were deadlier in the second half, with more points from fewer visits into the opposition 22 and Newcastle never truly looking like scoring a try until they were up against 14 players.
Northampton had stressed the need to improve their defence and it ultimately held firm, they repelled multiple Newcastle phases under the posts before Stephens flew over setting up a much more difficult conversion for Connon.
Player of the match: Curtis Langdon
This really could’ve gone to referee Hamish Smales - forget the piano shifters or piano players, this was a day for the whistler.
Smith was perfect with the boot, nailing 11 points while Connon missed two more difficult kicks worth five points, but Langdon’s try was ultimately the difference.
He was busy around the rest of the field with eight carries, 12 tackles and two turnovers underlining his hunger on an afternoon for the forwards, but he showed the try-scoring instincts of a winger with a fantastic support line to Pearson that was rewarded with a try.
Player ratings
Newcastle Falcons: Elliott Obatoyinbo 5, Adam Radwan 6, Tom Penny 7, Rory Jennings 6, Iwan Stephens 7, Brett Connon 6, Sam Stuart 6, Adam Brocklebank 6, Jamie Blamire 6, Mark Tampin 7, Philip van der Walt 7, Sebastian de Chaves 6, Sam Cross 6, Guy Pepper 7, Callum Chick 7
Subs: Bryan Byrne 7, Phil Brantingham 6, Murray McCallum 5, John Hawkins 6, Kiran McDonald 6, Hugh O’Sullivan 6, Freddie Lockwood 6, Matias Orlando 5
Northampton Saints: George Furbank 6, Tom Seabrook 6, Fraser Dingwall 7, Rory Hutchinson 6, George Hendy 5, Fin Smith 7, Tom James 6, Ethan Waller 4, Curtis Langdon 8, Trevor Davison 7, Chunya Munga 6, Alex Coles 6, Angus Scott-Young 6, Tom Pearson 7, Sam Graham 7
Subs: Tom Cruse 5, Alex Waller 7, Elliot Millar-Mills 6, Alex Moon 7
Match highlights
MISSED KICK
George Furbank was up quickly to cut off a positive overlap for Newcastle, but it's all elementary as Falcons had already won the scrum penalty. Brett Connon can't convert though, he runs the shot clock all the way down before notching the first miss of game to keep it 6-6.
TRY!!! NEWCASTLE FALCONS 6-13 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Tom Pearson is the gamebreaker! He takes a great line against the grain to hit Orlando's inside shoulder and offload to Curtis Langdon, who crashes through three tackler to touch down. Conversion is good too.
TRY!!! NEWCASTLE FALCONS 11-13 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Eventually Saints run out of numbers and Stephens slides over on Hendy's wing.
Callum Chick had the crowd on their feet with a powerful drive but he was denied, Stephens has given Connon a brutal conversion though...
POST AND OUT
And Connon can't convert, his kick slides onto the post so Saints still lead by two.
Key stats
- 3 years since Northampton finished a Premiership match without conceding a try
- 0 wins for either side in 2023/24 before the game
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