Newcastle Red Bulls
Wasps v Newcastle, 02/01/2010
By Leipziger
December 31 2010
This Sunday the Falcons make a third attempt to play their first Premiership match since November, following two home postponements. An industrial estate in High Wycombe beckons for our first game of 2011, like 2010 against the White Anglo Saxon Protestants.
Of course we will be returning to the scene of the Jon Golding-inspired 12-6 victory over Wasps a year ago as we aim for a first away win of the season. Jimmy Gopperth’s boot saw us defeat the Pests at Adams Park for the first time although it got a little hairy in the last few minutes. Still, it was an unforgettably tense evening and one those who saw it will not soon forget.
Wasps were also the first opponents of Alan Tait’s spell as manager back in May, and have already lost at Kingston Park this season, 27-19 in September. That win gave us some hope of a better season in the Premiership but it hasn’t really worked out that way as the Falcons languish in 11th place.
Since September Wasps have overcome not winning either of their opening matches to climb to fifth in the Premiership table. The first league game at Adams Park this season saw Leicester defeated 37-30, while London Irish and most recently Exeter have also lost in High Wycombe. In all competitions only Northampton, 10-37 in October, have beaten Wasps on their own turf.
Indeed, alongside Northampton and ourselves, only Scarlets, in the LV= Cup back in January, won at Adams Park in 2010.
On Sunday Wasps made the short trip to Wembley to meet Saracens in front of a 40,000-plus crowd and the Sky cameras. Two penalties by former Falcon Dave Walder gave Wasps a losing bonus point in a 13-6 defeat. Andy Saull was the only try-scorer although Sarries debutant Gavin Henson came close with one of his first touches.
With Sunday being, well, Sunday obviously, Euan Murray will not be making his debut, however, Matt Thompson will have another go at making his first league start of the season and Jason Spice could make a Geordie bow from the bench (team correct according to the Chronicle):
15 Jeremy Manning
14 Luke Fielden
13 Tane Tu’ipulotu
12 Luke Eves
11 Gcobani Bobo
10 Jimmy Gopperth
9 Micky Young
1 Grant Shiells
2 Matt Thompson
3 Kieran Brookes
4c James Hudson
5 Tim Swinson
6 Will Welch
7 Redford Pennycook
8 Ally Hogg
16 Matt Hall
17 Micky Ward
18 Tim Ryan
19 Filipo Levi
20 Mark Wilson
21 Jason Spice
22 James Fitzpatrick
23 Danny Williams
Wasps coach Shaun Edwards, so relieved at full-time when we last lost at Adams Park in April 2009, ironically by the same 12-6 score we beat the Pests by last season, has called for the home fans to get behind their team on Sunday ahead of a “huge game”. I’m sure the travelling Geordies will need no such encouragement to help our team make it a Happy New Year.
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15 Richard Haughton
14 Tom Varndell
13 Ben Jacobs (C)
12 Riki Flutey
11 David Lemi
10 Dave Walder
Charlie Beech is back from an ankle injury to bolster the replacements
9 Nic Berry
1 Tim Payne
2 Tom Lindsay
3 Zak Taulafo
4 Simon Shaw
5 James Cannon
6 Will Matthews
7 Joe Worsley
8 Andy Powell
16 Jason Hobson
17 Charlie Beech
18 Ben Broster
19 Marty Veale
20 Serge Betsen
21 Charlie Davies
22 Steve Kefu
23 Mark Van Gisbergen
Wasps offy
Is Leipzinger making a flat and rather silly attempt at humour by referring to us White Anglo Saxon Protestants? 4 non-white in the starting team; 2 Australians; 1 Welsh.
Quote:Not as strong as last week though with Gis and Betsen on the bench.They've a stronger team than us, Wasps by 12 me thinks
Perhaps they're underestimating us?
Quote:welsh wasp
Is Leipzinger making a flat and rather silly attempt at humour by referring to us White Anglo Saxon Protestants?
it's a pretty well known americanism that WASP = White Anglo Saxon Protestant
but glad you spotted it was a joke anyway....
</Steve>
We're definitely in the clarty stuff now, I do hope they realise this at the club and start to put plan B in motion, whatever that might be...
Don't think anyone else will be in the mix now.
Quote:Falcons head coach Alan Tait said: "We are targeting our home games. It is a short week for us, thankfully, we have got five days to get back on the paddock and I hope the guys respond.
Well if it was a Sunday not a Friday it wouldn't be a short week.
Lets get a big crowd making a big noise!
Cumon Falcons!
1 Golding
2 Vickers
3 Murray
4 Hudson
5 Van der Heijden
6 Afu
7 Pennycook
7 Hogg
Think Josh is a huge potential talent and if he is selected on the Blindside I wouldn't be disappointed.
Lose to Sale on Friday night, and it's pretty much a 2 horse race for relegation. The postponement agaist Leeds has come back to bite us, since a morale boosting win over our rivals could have given a completely different mind set. We now need to play every game as though it is our last and treat this situation for the dire straits it is. Putting pressure on yourself at home could lead to a massive drop in morale if results aren't achieved. The last 5 league fixtures are very difficult anyway, plus 2 games now to slot in, so strong performances are required, and no mealy mouthed excuses are acceptable. Just to reiterare - the club has accepted a losing mentality for too long - it has to stop.
We've been here every season for years now, why would we believe it'd be any different? Same old Falcons, always struggling.
Swinson is our most consistent forward IMO and should start at 6 when VDH is fit, still dont rate Afu anywhere near to Swinsons standard.
We need a couple of much more physical and generally hard forwards.
I fancy Sale to go down despite their win on Sunday - must win game for us friday though no way round that.
Defeat doesn't bear thinking about, and I couldn't give a monkeys how it's achieved but winning on Friday is a must,
Also we'll need to man up and protect whoever is playing at 9 as they got after wiggo as well.
Not looking forward to watching the game back on Saturday/Sunday
Bobo will not be getting a renewal.
Ryan interview
Bobo and Henderson have to go though, one will be on decent money and hasnt shown worth it and one hasnt shown anything.
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