England quartet return but Falcons sink to a new low
Leeds Carnegie 16 Newcastle Falcons 15
JONNY Wilkinson was subjected
to another public humiliation as
Newcastle's faltering Guinness
Premiership campaign hit a new
low with defeat at rock-bottom
Leeds.
The iconic fly-half - ignominiously
dropped by England for
last weekend's RBS 6 Nations victory
against Ireland - returned to
the Falcons side after international
duty along with Jamie
Noon, Toby Flood and Mathew
Tait.
The quartet could be forgiven
for wishing they had not bothered
as spirited Leeds kept their
slim survival hopes alive and set
a new record for the fastest try
in Premiership history through
Chris Blackett after 8.28 seconds.
Wilkinson registered the 24th
Premiership try of his career and
also claimed five points with the
boot but there was little else to
cheer on an otherwise miserable
evening at a bitterly cold and
windswept Headingley.
An abject surrender saw the
Falcons lose 28-8 at home to Bristol
last weekend in what ranked
as their worst performance of the
season.
This latest effort was of a similar
ilk and will bring owner Dave
Thompson's decision to sack director
of rugby John Fletcher
and forwards coach Peter Walton
under further scrutiny.
Steve Bates was placed in
charge until the end of the season
but has now presided over
two straight defeats.
Leeds, meanwhile, claimed
only their second win in 17 Premiership
outings and remain
rock bottom.
But if they go down, they will
go down fighting.
The Yorkshiremen, backed by
a biting, swirling wind in the first
half, could not have asked for a
better start as they breached
Newcastle's line after only eight
seconds.
Straight from the kick-off by
Leeds fly-half Alberto Di Bernardo,
the Falcons allowed the ball
to bounce and Blackett advanced
forward at pace to collect possession
and ground under the posts.
It was the first Premiership try
of the centre's career and set a
new record for the fastest Premiership
score, beating the mark
set when Tom Voyce touched
down for Wasps against Harlequins
in November 2004.
Moreover, it gave the Yorkshiremen
the platform for an improbable
victory.
Di Bernardo missed a penalty
from distance moments later but
Newcastle began to establish a
stranglehold and by the 13th
minute Wilkinson got them off
the mark.
A period of sustained pressure
led to hooker Lee Dickson taking
control from behind a scrum
close to the Leeds line before delivering
a rapier-like offload to
Wilkinson to his left.
He still had work to but Leeds
wing Apo Satala's pitiful attempt
at a tackle counted for little as
Wilkinson burrowed his way over
the line.
The wind ensured his conversion
attempt missed by some distance
but he did not err from
under the posts with a penalty
midway through the half to edge
his side 8-7 ahead.
Newcastle by now were in control
and several promising
breaks threatened to cut Leeds
apart.
That it did not happen was
largely down to the hosts' spirited
resistance and obstinate defence,
and after Noon departed
groggily midway through the
first period, Di Bernardo landed
a penalty to give his side further
breathing space.
Newcastle were dealt another
blow when Alex Tait - who had replaced
Noon minutes earlier -
was forced off through injury.
Di Bernardo converted his second
penalty shortly before the
break to give his side a 13-8 interval
lead.
Leeds dominated for the first
20 minutes of the second period
but had only another Di Bernardo
penalty to show for their efforts.
Newcastle slowly crept back
into contention and giant prop
Carl Hayman bundled his way
over the line from close range
shortly after the hour mark.
Wilkinson converted as Newcastle
claimed a bonus point but
Leeds held on in a tense final few
minutes for a famous success
which was rapturously received
at a jubilant Headingley.
9:00am Saturday 22nd March 2008
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