NEWCASTLE FALCONS 27 BRIVE 23

NEWCASTLE FALCONS were unable to make the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup despite rounding off their group campaign with a dramatic victory over French side Brive.

Simon Hammersley’s 75th-minute try ensured Falcons maintained their 100 per cent home record in European matches this season, but Connacht’s win over Russian side Enisei meant events at Kingston Park were irrelevant in terms of the final group outcome.

Connacht have made the last eight, where they will take on Grenoble, and Falcons can now concentrate on an uninterrupted spell of ten successive league games that will make or break their season.

“It’s frustrating not to have gone through on the back of losing last week in Russia, but we have a big ten-week block coming up in the Premiership, and that has to be our focus,” said Falcons skills coach and academy manager Mark Laycock.

“We have had three wins on the bounce at Kingston Park, and we have to continue to make this a difficult ground for people to play at, as well as challenging teams when we play them on the road.”

With 13 academy products in their 23-man squad, Falcons claimed a fourth-minute lead against Brive when former Yarm School student Zach Kibirige off-loaded for Hammersley to cross in the corner.

Craig Willis extended Newcastle’s lead with a penalty, but after experienced second row Kane Thompson was forced off with a knee injury, Brive got on the scoreboard through Thomas Laranjeira’s long-range three-pointer.

Falcons’ second try came when Juan Pablo Socino set up Alex Tait to score, and with scrum-half Michael Young also crossing with a trademark break, the hosts boasted a 22-3 lead at the interval.

Brive reduced the arrears within 60 seconds of the re-start when Nicolas Bezy rounded off a slick passing move, and after Laranjeira landed two penalties, Poutasi Luafutu’s converted try left the visitors one point ahead with 11 minutes left.

However, Hammersley had the final say as he swooped on his own grubber kick in the right corner to claim a superb individual try that proved decisive.

Newcastle Falcons: Hammersley, Tait, Harris, Socino, Kibirige, Willis (Powell 59), Young; Rogers (Harris 44), Lawson (McGuigan 56), Foster (Ryan 56), Botha, Thompson (Green 25), M Wilson, Welch, Chick.