Not for the first time this season, Newcastle contrived to lose a match they
should have won comfortably.
The Falcons led right up until the fourth minute of stoppage time when they
went behind to a Mark Mapletoft penalty.
Newcastle almost scored from the kick-off but lost the ball in the Irish 22
and nearly conceded a try at the other end. They were probably glad to give away
just a penalty to Barry Everitt in a frantic opening.
Some great handling down the right by Jamie Noon and Michael Stephenson opened
up the visitors and Ian Peel and Hugh Vyvyan clattered through in midfield to
force a penalty but Dave Walder sliced it wide.
Then in a fairytale start for debutant Matthew Tate, he scored with his first
touch of the ball. Newcastle ran it out of defence with Tom May finding
Stephenson, and the full-back surged into the Irish half.
He delivered the perfect pass for Tate to skin Michael Horak and race behind
the posts - he even had time to kiss the ball before scoring his first
Premiership try for the Falcons.
Newcastle were on fire and Hall Charlton soon found May on the wing. His pass
to Stuart Grimes saw the big lock charge through and then deliver a stunning
reverse pass for Warren Britz to score.
Then the Falcons were rather lucky to survive a breakaway by Nick Kennedy and
it needed a big tackle from May to drive him into touch five metres out.
The line-out was overthrown and it seemed Irish must score but somehow the
Falcons turned it over and Tate, under pressure, cleared to touch.
But from the line-out, Britz was pulled up for what looked like a good tackle
and Everitt made it 12-6.
Walder kicked a second-half penalty to make it 15-6 but when the Falcons had
Britz sin-binned for going over the ball, they were under immediate pressure and
it seemed Paul Sackey had scored from a quickly-taken penalty.
However referee Wayne Barnes decided Sackey had made a double movement when he
was tackled on the line and the penalty to Newcastle relieved the pressure.
But then the Falcons did concede a try with just four minutes of normal time
left when Neal Hatley scrambled over and Mark Mapletoft converted to make it
15-13.
With a minute to go, Grimes thundered down the right and May just could not
hold his pass with the line beckoning.
It proved a costly miss with Mapletoft kicking an 84th-minute penalty to give
Irish the lead for the first time in the match and they hung on for an unlikely
win.
Teams:
Newcastle: Stephenson, May, Noon, Mayerhofler, Tate, Walder,
Charlton, Peel, Thompson, Ward, Grimes, Hamilton, Dowson,
Britz, Vyvyan.
Replacements: Gollings for Tate (62),
Grindal for Charlton (40), Isaacson for Thompson (51),
Dunbar for Vyvyan (69).
Not Used: Buist, Hurter, Godman.
Tries: Tate, Britz.
Cons: Walder.
Pens: Walder.
London Irish: Horak, Sackey, Appleford, Mordt, Bishop, Everitt,
Edwards, Wheatley, Flavin, Hardwick, Strudwick, Kennedy,
Gustard, Dawson, Murphy.
Replacements: Hoadley for Appleford (41),
Mapletoft for Everitt (55), Hatley for Wheatley (50),
Drotske for Flavin (42), Danaher for Gustard (55),
Roche for Murphy (50).
Not Used: Barrett.
Tries: Hatley.
Cons: Mapletoft.
Pens: Everitt 2, Mapletoft.
Att: 8,723
Ref: Wayne Barnes (RFU).
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