It rains in Wales like nowhere else and at Newport on Saturday it rained on Rodney Parade and it rained on the Dragons’ parade too. Rob Andrew said after the game, “We knew what the weather forecast was, we knew what the Dragons were like, and we just outplayed them” - the game summed up in a sentence. | "We knew what the weather forecast was, we knew what the Dragons were like, and we just outplayed them." | | Rob Andrew |
There was little scope for exciting rugby despite the range of skills available to both sides. It was old-fashioned forward-dominated rugby and passing was a last resort. The Falcons won because they played the conditions better, made fewer mistakes and in David Walder and Colin Charvis they had the best back and best forward on the field. Can he kick it? Matt Burke had been given kicking duties in the absence of the other bloke who usually takes the kicks, and in the fifth minute Burke gave the Falcons a three point lead. Dragons’ fly half Ceri Sweeney levelled matters from 40 metres when Newcastle infringed at the side of a ruck but the Welshman missed in the 32nd minute and it was to prove costly.
 | | Colin Charvis is stopped by Michael Owen |
Through Walder, the Falcons had the better of the kicking game, and a long downfield probe forced winger Luscombe to retreat and defend. He offloaded to full back Kevin Morgan who can be a sparkling and elusive runner; but there’s a time and place for everything. Morgan sidestepped Dowson, eluded another would be tackler and made a lot of lateral progress before attempting his clearance kick. Flanker Mike McCarthy read the full back well, charged down the kick and was able to ground the ball before it crossed the dead ball line. Burke’s conversion took the Falcons into double figures. Sweeney reduced the deficit with his second penalty in first half stoppage time and the saturated Falcons left the field at the break leading 10-6. They emerged for the second half looking a different side, but only because the wet white shirts had been replaced by the dry blue ones. The same spirit and determination was maintained throughout. Gross misconduct There was a simmering edge of confrontation in every aspect of this game. Phil Dowson and his opposite number Richard Bryan conducted an 80 minute running squabble, with punches traded whenever the opportunity arose. But that was nothing to the fight between Luke Gross and Ian Gough midway through the second half. The punches were fierce from both players, with Gross getting the better of things and then raising a knee as Gough dropped his head. Mr. Courtney consulted both touch judges before showing a red card to Gross and finding that Gough had sneaked off the field in the interim. Gough was yellow carded in absentia. At 14-a-side the Falcons kept a grip on the game and when Newport were back to full strength the visitors still had enough guile to keep them out. The nine minutes of stoppage time were dramatic as the Dragons laid siege to the Newcastle line and battered into phase after phase. The final mistake fell to the home side and a second half without points scored gave the Falcons a winning start to their Heineken Cup campaign. On the ground where the last Falcons foray ended so ignominiously this start has raised the possibility of progress to the quarter finals. Gross will be suspended for four weeks for his misdemeanours and will miss the visit of Perpignan next Sunday. Victory in that one and surely all of the doubters will need to rethink.
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