Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 14-16 Northampton
George Furbank was part of the winning Northampton side
©Steve Haag
Newcastle Falcons 14-16 Northampton, Kingston Park
Brett Connon missed the decisive conversion in the end as Newcastle Falcons were edged out with a two-point margin by Northampton Saints in the third round of the Gallagher Premiership at Kingston Park on Sunday.
This is third defeat from as many games as they are languishing at the bottom of the table while Northampton Saints move to the seventh place in the table following their first win of the season.
Newcastle kick-started the proceedings with Brett Connon kicking a penalty goal on the right-hand side to give them an early lead but Fin Smith helped Northampton level the scores with a three-pointer of his own in the 15th minute.
As the Saints infringed at scrum, Connon kicked his second penalty goal to put Newcastle in front but the teams completed the opening half levelled at 6-6 with Smith landing a penalty of his own in the 38th minute.
Connon failed to put Newcastle in front early in the second half as his penalty attempt sailed wide before the first try of the game eventually came in the 53rd minute as Tom Pearson broke the defence of the home side and brilliantly offloaded to Curtis Langdon as he touched down. Smith kicked the conversion as the visitors increased their lead to 6-13.
As Connon and Smith traded penalty goals the gap between the two teams remained at seven points at the start of the final quarter. Newcastle were handed a lifeline as George Hendy was sin-binned for repeated infringements and Newcastle capitalised on the numerical advantage with Iwan Stephens diving in the corner.
Connon had a chance to draw the game but his missed conversion meant Newcastle continue to remain without a victory after three rounds.
Team line up:
Newcastle: Obatoyinbo; Radwan, Penny, Jennings, Stephens; B Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, Tampin, Van Der Walt, de Chaves, Cross, G Pepper, Chick.
Reserves: Byrne, Brantingham, McCallum, Hawkins, McDonald, O'Sullivan, Lockwood, Orlando.
Northampton: Furbank; Seabrook, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Hendy; F Smith, James; E Waller, Langdon, Davison, Munga, Coles, Scott-Young, Pearson, Graham.
Reserves: Cruse, A Waller, Millar-Mills, Lockett, Moon, McParland, Grayson, Litchfield.
