Newcastle…16pt
Tries: Kibirige 73
Conversions: Willis 74
Penalties: Willis 40, 45, 61
Bath……………15pts
Tries: Wilson 50, W Homer 65
Conversions: Hastings 66
Penalties: Hastings 31
THE Anglo-Welsh Cup has its moments but this was one of those occasions that left the spectator questioning its validity.
It has its merits, with young players receiving valuable game time, but this match, between sides that had nothing to play for, felt like a rather pointless exercise.
Both Newcastle and Bath were already out of the tournament going into this match and they played like it, making mistake after mistake in a dreary game.
Premiership positions were perhaps the only thing on the line but few, if any, enhanced their claim for a place in the respective first XVs next weekend.
Falcons' boss Dean Richards ultimately went home the happiest having seen them secure a late victory, their second in Pool 4, but it was not an inspiring display.
“It's probably the first time we've played badly and won for a long time,” Richards said.
“It shows the confidence in the team that they came back from six points down to get it in the end.
“There are a lot of boys coming back from injury, boys who haven't played much together, and it was always going to be scrappy for both sides. It's a good place to be at the moment and they're enjoying being around each other.”1
Dead rubbers are rarely the most exhilarating affairs and these sides did little to entertain a crowd that braved the cold north eastern air. The first half in particular was atrocious.
Dominated by knock-ons, ill-discipline and referee Dewi Phillips, who made good use of his whistle throughout, the teams struggled for continuity.
There were glimpses of excitement, especially when the gargantuan Opeti Fonua was in possession, but his performance rather epitomised the opening period, with the hosts' back-rower often wasting promising positions.
He was not the only one and in many ways the No.8 was the Tynesiders' most effective individual but, having often left opposition defenders on their backsides with his barnstorming runs, Fonua would duly ruin it by losing the ball.
It meant a fractured half full of mistakes with the only scores coming via the respective fly-halves, Craig Willis and Adam Hastings, who kicked a penalty apiece.
The second period immediately saw a slight improvement as Willis added his second three-pointer before Jack Wilson put the West Countrymen ahead, taking Chris Cook's pass, weaving his way around two would-be tacklers and crossing the whitewash.
Newcastle's stand-off restored the home team's advantage but Bath were much improved and deservedly went back ahead through Will Homer's shortrange effort.
That left the Falcons – down to 14 men following Ben Sowrey's yellow card – needing a converted try to win the contest but Zach Kibirige answered the call.
Receiving the ball 30 metres out, he scythed through the smallest of gaps and displayed excellent balance in shaking off the desperate attempts of replacement scrum-half Homer.
Willis kicked the conversion from in front of the posts before Max Clark was yellow carded to end the visitors chances of claiming a victory.
It left Bath's director of rugby Todd Blackadder frustrated, particularly with the last quarter, after a number of decisions went against his side.
“In those last 15 minutes, some of those decisions were very interesting,” Blackadder said.
“It just shows you how that can influence an outcome to a match.
“There were a lot of mistakes, the conditions got better as the game went on but if anything they might have been trying a little bit too hard. The game didn't really flow and we couldn't get any continuity.
“Between all that there was some brilliant rugby played by both sides, but then there would be another mistake or penalty.”
TEAMS
NEWCASTLE: Delany 5 (Catterick 52, 6 (Penny 64, 6)); Kibirige 7, Reynolds 6, Burdon (c) 7, Sinoti 7; Willis 6.5, Egerton 6; Brocklebank 6, Sowrey 6, Ryan 5.5 (Foster 61, 6); Botha 6 (Davidson 40, 6.5), Young 6.5; Orr 6 (Nelson 71), Holmes 6, Fonua 7 (Latu 52, 7). Not used: Vickers, Marshall
BATH: Davies 5.5 (Atkins 61, 6); Williams 6, Clark 6, Tapuai 6.5, Wilson 6.5; Hastings 6, Cook 5.5 (W. Homer 61, 6); Obano 7 (Marfo 52, 6), Walker 6, Knight 6; Douglas 7 (van Vuuren 74), Ellis 7 (Stooke 40, 6); Sisi 6, Mercer (c) 7, Denton 6.5 (Grant 64, 6.5)
Not used: Nixon, T Homer
REFEREE: Dewi Phillips
ATTENDANCE: 3,984
Star man
Fred Burdon – Newcastle
