Match Report: Newcastle Falcons 24 – 18 Exeter Chiefs
On a cool night underneath the lights in the North, Newcastle Falcons took the victory at Kingston Park in Round Five of the Gallagher Premiership to end their drought of results and prolong Chiefs’.
In much the same manner as his super try in last season’s encounter, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored the evening’s opening points with a swan dive over the line at the corner flag. A perfectly timed pass from Josh Hodge released the winger for a simple strike from close range to put the Chiefs on the board.
Falcons struck back just shy of 20 minutes played. Chiefs were desperately trying to withstand a repeated barrage on their line when advantage was called the way of the hosts. With that behind them, confidence grew, and Phillip Van Der Walt tore off the back of a breakdown to crash over in a heap of bodies.
Ethan Grayson added the extras from in front of the posts to put the Falcons ahead.
A penalty in play on the Falcons’ 10 metre line quickly allowed Hodge to kick for goal and place his side back in the lead – albeit a narrow one.
Almost immediately there was another penalty after some good pressure from Paul Brown-Bampoe on Falcons’ receivers. Hodge almost immediately called for the tee and clocked another three points.
It almost seemed as though Falcons had squandered their next chance with a big overthrow at the lineout. However, an advantage on the Chiefs line enabled them to go for the quick-tap and Blamire was in charge of shepherding the ball over the whitewash to give Grayson another simple conversion.
For a second week, Chiefs’ mission was made harder when just shy of half time they were reduced to 14 men. Richard Capstick was the man sent to the sin bin though it looked to be for repeated infringements throughout the Chiefs line.
Half-time: Falcons 14 – 11 Chiefs
Chiefs were able to see out the time without their 15th man as Capstick was reintroduced to the field in the early stages of the second half with no points having been added to the opposition tally.
Frustratingly, it was with the Chiefs at a full contingent that Falcons scored their next points. A penalty for ill-discipline awarded against Chiefs gave the option of a kick to the corner. With almost every available body included for the hosts, the maul trundled over with Blamire once more at the base and Grayson again adding the conversion.
A drop goal from Grayson took Falcons further into the lead but there was to be a slight consolation for Chiefs as they ran the ball from their own 22 to the try line. Ben Hammersley and Will Haydon-Wood linked well alongside Hodge who was the eventual scorer and slotted the conversion.
And so, Chiefs’ wait for a result continues as Falcons got their first since a Challenge Cup victory early this year.
Full-time: Falcons 24 – 18 Chiefs
Falcons: B Redshaw; A Radwan, C Doherty, S Arnold, B Stevenson; E Grayson, S Stuart; A Brocklebank, J Blamire, R Palframan, P Rubiolo, J Hawkins, P Van Der Walt, T Gordon, C Chick (c).
Replacements: Fletcher, De Bruin, McCallum, Lockwood, Scott, Davis, Hearle, Hutchinson
Tries: Van Der Walt, Blamire 2 Conversions: Grayson 3 Drop goal: Grayson
Chiefs: J Hodge; I Feyi-Waboso, O Woodburn, J Hawkins (Hammersley 57’), P Brown-Bampoe; H Skinner (Haydon-Wood 70’), S Maunder (Cairns 57’); S Sio (Blose 52’), J Yeandle (c) (Innard 52’), M Street (Iosefa-Scott 52’), R Tuima, F Molina (Tshiunza 63’), E Roots (Fisilau 59’), R Capstick, R Vintcent.
Tries: Feyi-Waboso, Hodge Conversion: Hodge Penalties: Hodge 2
Yellow card: Richard Capstick
Referee: Luke Pearce
Attendance: 4,464