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Newcastle Falcons travel to Italy this weekend knowing that another bonus point victory would leave them in pole position to secure a quarter-final spot. - 12/12/2013 10:45
Newcastle Falcons travel to Italy this weekend knowing that another bonus point victory would leave them in pole position to secure a quarter-final spot.
The Falcons currently sit second in the Pool 3 standings but are level on points with leaders Brive and still have to welcome the French outfit to Kingston Park next month.
Dean Richards saw his side secure maximum points in the reverse fixture with Cammi Rugby Calvisano last Sunday as they eased to a 37-15 success in the North East. Newcastle scored five tries in total in a game they were never in any danger of losing but a stiffer test is likely to lie in wait at the Peroni Stadium.
Calvisano were left to rue their indiscipline in the first encounter after they saw six players yellow carded. They were forced to play with 12 men at one stage as they slipped to a second straight defeat this season. They lost by the same scoreline at Bucharest Wolves in Round 2 and sit bottom of the pool at the halfway stage.
The Italians are a different proposition on home soil, however, and secured a famous draw with Brive in their only home tie so far this term. Calvisano were on the brink of victory against the 1997 Heineken Cup winners before a try from replacement Lucas Lyons robbed them of that success just four minutes from time. They even had a second chance to win it in the final minute but Kelly Haimona's penalty failed to hit the target.
Calvisano won their final home game of the last Amlin Challenge Cup campaign against Bucharest and they ran Agen very close in the same season but they were well beaten by Newcastle’s English colleagues, Bath, 39-5. They have seen off English opposition in the past, though, with Leeds falling short in December 2007.
Newcastle Falcons celebrated their 98th European contest with the Pool 3 double over Cammi Rugby Calvisano - but they fell agonisingly short of a potentially invaluable try bonus point that would have given them top spot in the group. - 14/12/2013 16:03
Newcastle Falcons celebrated their 98th European contest with the Pool 3 double over Cammi Rugby Calvisano – but they fell agonisingly short of a potentially invaluable try bonus point that would have given them top spot in the group.
The three-try win at the Peroni Stadium means Dean Richards’ Falcons and Brive have both banked 14 points after four contests with the crunch between them set for Kingston Park in Round 5 on the second weekend in January.
The Falcons had won their home Italian challenge 37-15 with a try bonus point in a match that featured eight yellow cards – six of them involving Calvisano players – and there were three more sin bins in Italy, two of them for the Premiership side.
Teenager Zach Kibirige got the Falcons off to a flier with a try after just three minutes with Phil Godman adding the conversion and a penalty goal before being replaced by Rory Clegg.
Cammi Rugby Calvisano, who have a 20-20 draw against Brive to their credit from their Round 1 contest, responded with a penalty goal from Kelly Haimona and with Scott Lawson being shown a yellow card by Romanina referee Vlad Lordescu they were not having things all their own way.
The introduction of Rory Clegg mane an immediate impact as the 33-year-old raced over for the Falcons’ second try and added the conversion for good measure.
The replacement outside half was on target with a penalty for a healthy 17-points half-time lead with the Italian double there for the taking.
The Falcons found themselves a man down again when Fraser McKenzie was sent to the sin bin soon after the restart but although down to 14 men for the second time the Falcons increased their advantage with a second try from Kibirige before Paino Hehea crossed for Calvisano to remind the Falcons they still had work to do.
But the try bonus point eluded them and now qualification for the knock-out stages as the group winner is poised to be settled in the new year.
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