A SECOND-HALF rally was insufficient to prevent Newcastle Falcons crashing to a 24-16 defeat to Northampton Saints in their opening game of the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Having been trailing by a double-figure margin at one stage, Falcons got to within three points of their opponents in the closing stages at Kingston Park, only for a late try from Saints’ Rory Hutchinson to seal their fate.

Newcastle claimed an early lead when fly-half Mike Delany landed a close-range penalty, but a scrappy opening spell saw Sam Olver level for Northampton with a three-pointer of his own.

Olver missed a penalty and an attempted drop-goal shortly after, but the visitors claimed the only try of the first half when England international Luther Burrell released Tom Collins in a two-on-one break.

Olver added the conversion, and while Delany slotted his second penalty of the game, Falcons still trailed 13-6 at the interval.

They fell further behind when Olver landed a long-range penalty at the start of the second half, and Newcastle wasted a decent attacking position when Craig Willis failed to gather Michael Young’s grubber kick.

Delany’s 56th-minute penalty kept Falcons in the game, with Kenyan debutant Joshua Chisanga making an instant impact, but Northampton remained ten points in front after Olver added his fourth penalty.

Falcons threatened a grandstand finish when skipper Alex Tait finally crossed the try line, making the most of Joel Hodgson’s tapped penalty, but while Delany added the conversion, Hutchinson sealed Northampton’s win when he chased down a kick to the right corner.

Newcastle Falcons: Tait, Watson, Burdon, Willis (Hodgson 62), Sinoti, Delany, M Young (Egerton 57); Lockwood (Vickers 49), Sowrey (Lawson 49), D Wilson (Welsh 49), Witty, Davidson (G Young 64), Hogg, Holmes (Chisanga 57), Chick.