Newcastle flanker Richard Arnold was sent off in the second half as the
Falcons paid a heavy price for their indiscipline at Northampton.
The New Zealander had only come on as a second-half replacement before being
sin-binned after just six minutes for deliberately killing the ball yards from
his posts as Saints launched a furious onslaught.
And then in the 65th minute he threw a haymaker at Northampton prop Matt
Stewart which cost him a second yellow card and the subsequent red.
The visitors, sitting comfortably in third position before the kick-off, had
also had centre Tom May yellow-carded as early as the ninth minute when he
prevented former Newcastle skipper Pat Lam from taking a quick tap penalty.
Newcastle could still have salvaged something from the game at the end when
May scored a dazzling solo try, but fly-half David Walder missed the conversion
which would have put them within less than seven points of the winners.
Saints had led 13-6 at the interval with a try from Ali Hepher and within four
minutes of the re-start Northampton had given themselves a two-score cushion
when Wales Under-21 lock Andy Newman went over from close range after Hepher's
quickly taken penalty.
Although the intent was always there, it was a disappointing affair and it was
Newcastle who scored the game's remaining tries from substitute Inga Tuigamala
and May.
But while the match may have been devalued by the absence of no fewer than 12
internationals, it still drew a crowd of 6,700.
Northampton:
Tries: Hepher, Newman.
Cons: Grayson 2.
Pens: Grayson 4.
Team: Grayson, Thorneycroft, Hyndman, Allen, Webster,
Hepher, Malone, Pagel, Thompson, Stewart, Newman, Phillips,
Rodber, Blowers, Lam.
Replacements: Shaw for Thorneycroft (79),
Bramhall for Malone (52), Seely for Lam (71).
Not Used: Todd, Richmond, Soden, Tucker.
Newcastle:
Tries: Tuigamala, May.
Cons: Walder.
Pens: Walder 2.
Team: Stephenson,
Botham, Noon, May, Taione, Walder,
Armstrong, Peel, Balshen, Hurter, Vyvyan, Weir, Devonshire,
Mower, Jenner.
Replacements: Tuigamala for Botham (50), Ward for Peel (48),
Arnold for Devonshire (40).
Not Used: Charlton, Cook, Makin, Rule.
Sin Bin: May (6).
Sent Off: Arnold (66).
Att: 6,734
Ref: R Goodliffe (Sheffield (RFU).
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