NEWCASTLE Falcons drew 21-21 with Bath as they opened their pre-season campaign in the French town of Beziers this evening.
Ryan Shortland’s last-gasp try earned the Falcons a draw in a game that will be repeated on the opening weekend of Aviva Premiership action next month.
Bath opened the scoring midway through the first half through Anthony Perenise and extended their lead shortly before the interval via Anthony Watson, but Falcons got on the scoreboard at the start of the second half when Shortland scored his first try of the night.
Noah Cato scored in the corner shortly after, with fly-half Phil Godman’s conversion levelling the scores, but Matt Banahan crossed for Bath with six minutes left.
A successful conversion made it 21-14, but after Shortland rounded off a flowing move to score his second try in the 79th minute, Godman held his nerve to level the scores with a conversion.
Falcons: Catterick, Higgins, M Tait, Crockett, Brown, Hodgson, Pilgrim; Strain, Thompson, Wilson, Tomes, McKenzie, Mayhew, Welch, York.
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