Northampton Saints 61-0 Newcastle Falcons, cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens
Northampton Saints delivered a masterclass at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, dismantling Newcastle Falcons 61-0 in their final match of 2024.
Securing maximum points by halftime, the Saints ensured a 20th win for the calendar year and capped a stellar home record with 15 victories in 16 matches.
The hosts wasted no time asserting dominance as Alex Coles crossed under the posts in just the fifth minute, latching onto George Hendy’s pass. Trevor Davison followed up with a brace against his former club, first converting a move from a scrum and then ripping the ball free from Tom West’s grasp to score again.
Saints secured their bonus point within the opening quarter when Alex Mitchell exploited a defensive gap to score his first try of the season.
Flanker Josh Kemeny returned from injury with a galloping run to mark his comeback with a try, following Tommy Freeman’s break.
Despite being reduced to 14 men after Fin Smith’s yellow card for a breakdown offence, Northampton extended their lead. Fraser Dingwall’s incisive run set up Freeman for his 49th try in 90 appearances.
Newcastle’s best opportunity to score in the first half was thwarted by Hendy’s heroic dive, dislodging the ball from Ben Stevenson to maintain the Saints’ clean sheet.
Saints Director of Rugby Phil Dowson made key changes at halftime, introducing Luke Green, Archie McParland, and Iakopo Mapu.
The fresh energy paid off quickly as Tom Pearson scored twice in quick succession, the second following a powerful McParland pass. Replacement Rory Hutchinson added the conversion to bring up 50 points.
Newcastle’s extended spells of possession in the final quarter were met with relentless defensive work from the Saints. The final blow came after a loose ball in the Saints’ 22 was scooped up by Hutchinson, who sprinted 70 meters to score and convert, sealing an emphatic win.
The victory marked Northampton’s 20th win of the year and underscored their dominance at home. Saints’ performance throughout 2024 has been a testament to their consistency and quality, leaving fans optimistic for the upcoming season.
Team line up:
Northampton: Hendy; Freeman, Litchfield, Dingwall (c), Sleightholme; Smith, Mitchell; West, Walker, Davison, Munga, Coles, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock.
Reserves: Langdon, Haffar, Green, Mayanavanua, Scott-Young, Mapu, McParland, Hutchinson.
Newcastle: Brown; Radwan, Hearle, Doherty, Stevenson; Connon, Stuart; McCallum, Fletcher, Palframan, De Chaves, McDonald, Lockwood, Gordon, Chick (c).
Reserves: Byrne, Rewcastle, Hancock, Hawkins, Van der Walt, O'Sullivan, Metcalf, Spencer.
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