Championship Final 2 Preview
Falcons v Blues
By ML
May 29 2013
RFU Championship Final 2nd Leg Preview
RFU Championship Final
2nd Leg Preview
Newcastle Falcons v Bedford Blues
Kingston Park
Wednesday May 29
KO 745pm
Live on Sky Sports HD.
Newcastle Falcons are in pole position to reclaim their Premiership status at the first attempt having established a nine-point lead from the first leg of the RFU Championship final.
RFU Championship Dream XV fly-half Jimmy Gopperth booted all of Newcastle’s points last Thursday as the Falcons won 18-9 at Goldington Road. Myles Dorrian replied with two penalties and replacement kicker Jake Sharp chipped in with another for the Blues, who, in truth, were second-best for the majority of the match.
However Mike Rayer’s men still managed to show glimpses of the attacking rugby that has helped them reach their first-ever final, and heading into Wednesday’s return clash Newcastle are canny enough to know that the job is not done yet.
That said, Bedford Blues have only won at Kingston Park once before in their history and never by the margin required for them to deny the Falcons the silverware and promotion.
To date, their only success at the north-east venue is the 30-23 victory in Courage League Division Two on September 30, 1995.
Overall, Newcastle and Blues have met 16 times in league rugby, the Falcons winning on 11 occasions – 3 of them this season. They also defeated Bedford at Goldington Road in the semi-finals of the British & Irish Cup.
Perhaps the most remarkable of the recent fixtures between the sides came at Kingston Park in the Premiership season of 1998/99, when Bedford, without an away win all season at that point, held a 23-5 half-time lead only to lose 34-23 after conceding 29 second-half points without reply.
Two of the most famous wingers to play the game, Inga Tuigamala (Newcastle) and Rory Underwood (Bedford), both scored a brace of tries for their respective sides that day.
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Deserved winners over the 2 legs although Bedford showed real endeavour and no lack of guts in making them work hard for the win tonight.
Newcastle, with their massive financial advantage and big squad, were always going to be tough to beat and they did exactly wn]hat they had to.
"This Championship - they make it so hard to get out of - it's so tough," he added.
"You go to places, play on atrocious pitches, changing rooms are like a box, it's a different lifestyle and to get through it is a credit to the guys".
Sounds like he's glad to see the back of the championship or as he been speaking to our friend 'Ramshackle Smith"
" May the road rise with you"
When you see how Northampton and Quins took to the ethos of the Championship to take their clubs forward with dignity and the arrogance shown by Newcastle annoyes me.
I think Newcastle have a very tough season in front of them, but I hope they stay up, pompous prats!!!!!