Newcastle Falcons vs Saracens - Programme

5 YEARS AGO – SEPTEMBER 16, 2017
Continuing with the American theme, today’s visitors Saracens
also featured early in the Falcons’ fixture list in 2017-18, but on
this occasion the match, a home match for the Falcons, took
place some 3,500 miles west of Kingston Park at the Talen
Energy Stadium in Philadelphia, the home of the Philadelphia
Union Major League soccer team.
The Falcons had agreed to take the fixture as it was heavily
subsidised by organisers AEG, one of the world’s leading sports
and entertainment companies.
The USA was seen as rugby’s great untapped market, and it
was hoped that after Saracens had hosted London Irish in New
Jersey the previous season the event would attract a full house
to the 18,500 seat capacity stadium adjacent to the Delaware
River.
In the event, scheduling the match on the same day as College
American Football meant that the stadium was barely
a third full as the game kicked off in 30-degree heat. Rather
embarrassingly, the stadium announcer had to ask spectators
topping up their tans in the uncovered seats to move to the
centre of the stand to give the impression of a larger crowd
for the cameras.
The Falcons had started the season well with victories over
Worcester and Sale, but were missing Toby Flood and big-name
signings DTH Van der Merwe and Maxin Mermoz.
Sarries for their part were able to field one of the Premiership’s
strongest ever line-ups. A brave, backs-to-the-wall performance
by the Falcons was never going to be enough to repel
such stellar opponents, and their cause was not helped as
they persisted in earning the displeasure of JP Doyle, a referee
unlikely to feature very highly in a list of the Falcons’ all-time
favourite officials.
Saracens took an early lead with a well-worked try. Maro Itoje
secured lineout ball, Owen Farrell launched a wraparound and
Liam Williams and Alex Goode combined to send in American
Chris Wyles, Farrell converting.
The Falcons soon drew level as Chris Harris pressured
Jamie George into spilling Farrell’s pass on the Falcons’
22. Mark Wilson picked up the loose ball and showed
an impressive turn of pace before putting Niki Goneva
away for a try, converted by Joel Hodgson.
It would take Saracens until the 75th minute before
they breached the Falcons’ line, again in controversial
circumstances, but in the interim period persistent Falcons’
offending enabled Sarries to build a lead. Farrell
struck two penalties to make it 13-7 at half-time, followed
by a further three penalties in the final quarter
before that late score.
The referee awarded a penalty try and a yellow card
after deeming Goneva had deliberately knocked-on
a scoring pass close to the Falcons’ line. Goneva had
gathered the ball and had a clear run to the line. Had
the referee bothered to consult his touch judge or the
television match official it would have been pointed out
to him that the ball had in fact struck Goneva on the
head, and so was not a knock-on.
Had Goneva been allowed to score the try, a conversion
would have taken the Falcons to within eight points,
with five minutes remaining to try to secure at least
a bonus point.
The teams that day were as follows:
Newcastle Falcons: S.Hammersley; A.Tait; C.Harris;
J.Matavesi (rep.JP Socino 51); V.Goneva; J.Hodgson (rep.
B.Agulla 69); S.Takulua (rep. S.Stuart 69); R.Vickers (rep.
S.Mavinga 65); S.Lawson (rep. S.Socino 51); J.Welsh
(rep. T.Davison 57); C.Green; S.Robinson (rep. W.Witty
59); M.Wilson; W.Welch (capt); N.Latu (rep. A.Hogg 65).
Saracens: A.Goode; L.Williams; B.Barritt (capt); M.
Bosch (rep. N.Tompkins 65); C.Wyles; O.Farrell; B.Spencer
(rep. R.Wigglesworth 53); M.Vunipola (rep.H.Thompson-Stringer
72); J.George (rep. C.Tolufua 59); J.Figallo
(rep. K.Longbottom 59); N.Isiekwe (rep. D.Day 67); M.Itoje;
M.Rhodes; S.Burger (rep. J.Wray); B.Vunipola.
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