By Cherry Picker
January 11 2009

Yes, you saw it right ... Newcastle Falcons 10, Gloucester 7. Pre-season favourites for relegation, second bottom of GP 10, team full of internationals second top of GP 7. It's the sort of result that decides a season, gets coaches the sack and drives the fans mad with frustration. It's a long way away, players are out injured and it's been cold - but there are no excuses for Glaws.

Newcastle won fair and square and anybody who tries to put forward bad luck, bad refereeing, bad weather or any other excuse is hiding his head in the sand.
Gloucester didn't have enough to cope with a team battling for its Guinness Premiership life, and not only was this a massive blow for Gloucester, it as also a huge hit for neighbours Bristol, now stranded at the bottom after losing heavily againt Saracens.
Danny Williams scored a first-half try for the Falcons, and though Glaws replied after half-time with a Rory Lawson try, Tom May's penalty gave the hosts their win.
A team with Gloucester's squad, expectations and budget should not lose games like this. Surpirse results always crop up, of course, and they are the very essence of most sports.
But when they happen like this, nobody in the Glaws squad can shrug their shoulders and put it down to "one of those things".
Newcastle coped better with the wind and Gloucester played badly as a team and as individuals.
On this form, they can forget the Heinken cup when it resumes next weekend and they can also forget the top four of the Guinness Premiership. Just when it looked as if they might have put their inconsistency behind them, this happens.
Newcastle won on merit, and that says it all.

The sort of result that changes a season

Discussion started by Shedloads (IP Logged), 11/01/2009 17:16

Shedloads
11/01/2009 17:16

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Two Sheds
11/01/2009 17:22

I did have to look twice. Please somebody tell me it isn't true.

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Pilgrim
11/01/2009 18:26

More worrying than a poor result in a league where there is no prize in coming 1st , is that we didn't escape without injuries . Morgan and Tindall came off crocked. Hopefully in each case this was precautionary . If either/both of these guys is/are out for any length of time then we have problems.

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Isaac Dix
11/01/2009 20:22

Just saw the highlights. I couldn't stop laughing at the posts wobbling. It was like something out of a Monty Python sketch.

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cheerycherry
11/01/2009 21:58

Press reports Morgan has broke a finger which would be a massive blow to Glaws. Coupled with Tinds apparently having done a hamstring and it is really turning into a bad day. I think im more concerned about injuries with The Blues next week than I am todays result.

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cheerycherry
11/01/2009 21:58

Well I have to say all credit to The Falcons for dogging out a vital win. Yes the weather apparently played a part but as the cliche goes "it is the same for both sides"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:01:12:06:02:07 by cheerycherry.

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Rugby Rose
12/01/2009 10:02

To be honest the weather resulted in an actual rugby game being played - rather than the long kicking game we have become accustomed to -

Just for the record your chaps certainly enjoy being in an offside position don't they?

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Two Sheds
12/01/2009 11:47

"Enjoy" is probably the wrong word, but it has been a problem. I don't get how professional sportsmen can be caught out so often.

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Rugby Rose
12/01/2009 12:02

And it not get picked up by the ref -

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