Exeter Chiefs 24 Newcastle Falcons 26
Dec 20 2010 by Mark Smith, The Journal
JEREMY Manning was Newcastle Falcons’ hero in unfamiliar surroundings yesterday, kicking a last-minute penalty to sink Exeter Chiefs in Galashiels.
The fly-half got the Falcons out of jail after the Chiefs had battled back from 20-6 down – the visitors having taken a one-point lead going into the final play.
Yesterday’s result technically keeps the Falcons in with a sniff of a quarter-final place, but of greater importance to head coach Alan Tait will be the Premiership Boxing Day battle against Leeds Carnegie.
The prospect of heavy fines for postponed games in the Amlin Challenge Cup had seen the two teams moved 70 miles north of a frozen Kingston Park, with Netherdale’s winter wonderland coming to the rescue.
As well as a picturesque mountain backdrop, the venue boasts under-soil heating as a legacy of the Border Reivers’ ultimately-doomed tenure, and despite a good half-foot of snow forming a crisp white blanket on the surrounding practice fields, the main pitch’s condition was never in doubt.
Swift organisation by the Falcons Supporters Club had at least seen buses laid on from Newcastle for the hardy few, as they returned to the scene of a 26-11 Challenge Cup triumph over Borders five years earlier. French referee Mathieu Raynal, however, was not so lucky, with Scottish replacement Iain Heard drafted in amid continued transport chaos.
The 527 people who did make it were rewarded for their endeavours with a full-blooded encounter – Newcastle assuming an early lead as a brace of Jimmy Gopperth penalties cancelled out Ryan Davis’ first-minute effort.
The Falcons were a whisker away from the opening try as Michael Tait knocked-on just inches short of the line – the young Scot stooping to pick up Gopperth’s crafty grubber but just fumbling at the vital moment. But with the Exeter scrum in complete charge, a collapsed set-piece on the 22 allowed Davis the platform from which to strike over his second penalty.
Gopperth’s third penalty put the Falcons back in front just before the half hour as they found their attacking stride, and they extended the lead to eight on the half-hour with a sensational try.
No 8 Ally Hogg, playing in his Scottish homeland, slid athletically to catch a high ball at full-stretch inside his own 22, beating a pair of tacklers before offloading to Gcobani Bobo. The Springbok wing, 50 metres away from the try-line, simply ghosted his way through the visiting defence.
Gopperth’s conversion attempt bounced back off the upright, but the Kiwi made amends with penalties both before and after the half-time break for a 20-6 advantage. Newcastle gave the ball plenty of width – centre pairing Tane Tu’ipulotu and Luke Eves both getting their hands on the ball as they searched for the gaps in Exeter’s outside defence. The Chiefs chipped away at the deficit via a third Davis penalty, and increased on their efforts just after the hour mark as fullback Phil Dollman slid over for an unconverted try in the right corner.
With the Devon side increasingly in the ascendancy they got themselves to within three points courtesy of another Davis penalty, but straight from the restart a booming 45-metre drop goal from Manning negated that, as the Kiwi replacement played a useful advantage. The outcome looked like coming down to one last sustained spell of forward pressure in the Newcastle 22, and after three re-set scrums the ball was eventually worked out left to the blindside for Mark Foster to dive just inside the corner flag.
Replacement Gareth Steenson was the man tasked with a touchline conversion, and the fly-half obliged in spectacular fashion to drill through the crucial kick for a one-point lead. But never write-off this stubborn Falcons side, who, with 80 minutes elapsed, still found the fluency to keep the ball alive.
With Exeter flying off their feet at a defensive ruck just outside their own 22, it was all left to Manning to send over the decisive three points.
They may well have had Boxing Day’s league date already in mind, but they can now bounce into their festive survival scrap with that winning feeling restored.
SCORERS: Falcons – Tries: Bobo. Penalties: Gopperth 5, Manning. Drop-goals: Manning. Chiefs – Tries: Dollman, Foster. Penalties: Davis 4.
NEWCASTLE FALCONS: Luke Fielden, Michael Tait, Tane Tu’ipulotu, Luke Eves (James Fitzpatrick, 52), Gcobani Bobo (Danny Williams, 59), Jimmy Gopperth (Jeremy Manning, 59), Joel Hodgson; Grant Shiells (James Hall, 70), Matt Thompson, Kieran Brookes (Micky Ward, 17), Filipo Levi, Tim Swinson, Will Welch, Redford Pennycook (Mark Wilson, 52), Ally Hogg (captain).
EXETER CHIEFS: Phil Dollman, Mark Foster, Matt Jess, Andy Higgins, Bryan Rennie (Josh Matavesi, 52), Ryan Davis (Gareth Steenson, 68), Garrick Cowley (captain, Junior Poluleuligaga, 40); Ben Moon, Chris Whitehad, Chris Budgen, Chris Bentley (Herbie Stupple, 59), Dave Gannon, Andy Miller, James Phillips (Dave Ewers, 48), Chad Slade.
Referee: Ian Heard (Scotland)
Attendance: 527
