By GTD
February 8 2006

Next up in the Guinness Premiership our favourite Director of Rugby comes to town with Rob Andrew bringing his team and excuses to Reading. Now, what are the implications of a win or a loss this weekend….

We are in 5th on 33 points.

Win = That puts us in striking difference of Gloucester on 36 points and Leicester on 38 points. They play each other this weekend with a probable Leicester win on the cards.

Lose = Worcester play Sale at home and if they can manage one of their now expected, un-expected wins would climb above us into 5th. Newcastle would also only be 3 points off us (assuming a 4 pt win to them).

So while we try to get into the Top 4 place we crave, Newcastle are desperately trying to get away from a bottom half of the table where a gap is forming.

It’s 3 straight wins in all competitions for the Irish. Newcastle have posted an impressive 8 wins out of the last 10 games in all competitions. Gloucester can vouch for our desire to stop winning runs however.

In the premiership The Falcons haven’t travelled too well only posting 2 wins this season, against Saints and Leeds. Our home form in the GP needs a boost with our last win being back on Nov 20th against Gloucester.

One thing that can be guaranteed with Newcastle on the field is a close game !! Their average points difference in games is 5.3 so a losing bonus point would seem a certainty. Our game up at Kingston Park back on the 11th November saw us run out 23-20 winners.

Internationals are affecting both sides - even us with at least Magne, Ojo, Geraghty and Kennedy out for us and Charvis, Noon, Tait and Philips away for the Falcons.

This will be a close encounter. I think if we put out another huge pack as at Gloucester we can easily do a job on the Newcastle pack with us running out winners by less than 5 points.

Prediction : London Irish 20 v 15 Newcastle Falcons