By Behindthebench
February 25 2015

Saracens vs Newcastle Falcons.  Aviva Premiership Rugby.  Allianz Park.  Saturday 28 February 2015.  Saracens have a fairly quick reacquaintance with a Newcastle side they played at Kingston Park just after Christmas, where they secured their only win in the last six away Premiership matches. So common ground with Falcons in more ways than one, as the second top flight team to install an artificial pitch has struggled to achieve results away from home in the league too.

Saracens have a fairly quick reacquaintance with a Newcastle side they played at Kingston Park just after Christmas, where they secured their only win in the last six away Premiership matches. So common ground with Falcons in more ways than one, as the second top flight team to install an artificial pitch has struggled to achieve results away from home in the league too.

That meeting was a thriller. A Neil de Kock try had given the visitors a 10-6 interval lead, but an eventful second half saw Sinoti Sinoti score one of his many tries this season to give the Falcons a slender advantage, only for Nick Tompkins to ease Saracens ahead again, and when Chris Ashton scored a third try with twelve minutes left, the bonus point seemed on. Instead, as has been seen in a number of games, the trail ran cold as Falcons surged back through a fine team try from Chris Harris in the 75th minute, augmented by a last gasp effort which the hosts failed to convert as Sarries held on for the 25-23 victory.

2015 opened with a trip to Northampton Saints, but a fearless performance yielded a try bonus point in a 39-31 defeat at Franklins Gardens as the Falcons kicking game, general play and rolling maul, which served up two of their tries, as the North East club staged a stirring recovery from 32-10 down with around 30 minutes left. A more expected bonus point came in the subsequent 38-7 home success against London Welsh, as forward dominance and the creativity of Sinoti wreaked havoc in equal measure, earning the fifth point by the 33rd minute. Seemingly poised to do well in the European Rugby Challenge Cup, with three wins and a losing bonus point in their opening four matches, the Falcons found themselves 35-3 down at home to Guinness Pro12 strugglers Newport Gwent Dragons, who scored five first half tries, three of them coming when flanker Richard Mayhew was in the sin bin for the home side. As at Northampton, Newcastle rallied, with the rolling maul setting up a pair of tries again, alongside some fine broken play, for a final 40-29 defeat, but an important try bonus point.

That was crucial as it meant that a comfortable 52-10 win in Romania against Bucharest Wolves was enough to deliver a Challenge Cup Quarter Final, as a combination of forward dominance and slick handling proved too much for the home side as Newcastle collected seven tries in total, earning them an Easter Saturday trip to Premiership rivals Exeter Chiefs. Defeats in the opening pair of LV= Cup matches meant that they couldn't qualify, but the Falcons demonstrated their strength in depth as they recorded a 39-19 bonus point home win over Sale Sharks and backed this up with a another five point win at London Irish, in two displays which had all of the hallmarks of their improved attacking game. This meant that the Falcons had claimed try bonus points for six games in a row. That run came to a shuddering halt with a 46-17 loss at Exeter, as they struggled to gain a foothold in the match. However, entertainment was back on the menu, as a 23 all draw was shared with Wasps in the North East, Falcons only getting the three tries on this occasion.

So. an entertaining game seems assured, especially as the visitors will be used to the artificial pitch. With a lethal rolling maul, much as Sale's, as well as a clear ability to counter attack effectively, a threatening kicking game, and the possibility of going through the phases when necessary, the threat posed by the dramatically improved running game, and all round attacking play, of the visitors is obvious. However, as was seen in the Exeter loss, they can still slump to large defeats if the forward platform does not exist to play their free-flowing game. Hence, if Saracens can improve on their discipline and defensive solidity compared with last week, they should be able to create chances against their opponents, in a match which is vital to their top four hopes, but will need to be wary of the considerable threat and finishing power, not just of Sinoti, but the side as a whole.

The Saracens' line up remains a conundrum given the uncertainty over Mike Brown's fitness, which would see Alex Goode taking a deserved place at full back for England in Dublin, but also whether Charlie Hodgson recovers from injury, and any of the other England players would be made available. Assuming the maximum number of unavailable players (aka being a pessimist), a possible line up could be Ben Ransom at full back, with Chris Ashton and David Strettle continuing on the wings, and Chris Wyles moving to centre alongside Marcelo Bosch. Nils Mordt could be afforded a rare Premiership start at fly half alongside the continuing Neil de Kock. In the forwards, Richard Barrington should return at loosehead, whilst Jamie George should keep his place at hooker as should Petrus du Plessis at tighthead. The lock combination of Maro Itoje and Alistair Hargreaves should remain unchanged too, whilst the back row may be rotated to feature Kelly Brown, Matt Hankin and Ernst Joubert.

Newcastle's line up should show fewer changes from that which started against Wasps. Simon Hammersley started at full back, with Samoan dangerman Sinoti and Alex Tait on the wings, and a centre partnership of former Saracen Adam Powell and Argentinan Juan Pablo Socino. Academy product Tom Catterick was at fly half alongside experienced Scottish scrum half Mike Blair. Into the forwards, and the front row consisted of loosehead Rob Vickers, hooker Rob Hawkins, formerly of Leicester, and Northampton bound tighthead Kieran Brookes, who is on the fringes of the England side, so England under 20 prop Scott Wilson may deputise. At lock, Italian Josh Furno featured, but may be replaced by Callum Green or Kane Thompson, alongside Dom Barrow. The back row looks likely to be formed of Mark Wilson alongside club captain Will Welch and Richard Mayhew.