Into the Valley of Don - Titans v Falcons Preview

Rotherham end their season by moving from Millmoor to the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield hoping for a change of luck and change in results. 21 league games, 21 defeats is not a record that even their most pessimistic of supporters would have expected back in September, and when you add to that the Powergen Cup defeat to Falcons, and losing four of their six games in the Parker Pen competitions, it definitely has not been a happy time. Two victories to show for 28 games, and those against Italian opposition (GRAN Rugby Parma and Viadana), and you can see why a number of Roth supporters will be glad to get back to Division One and rebuild their confidence.

There’s only been two points gained in league action, in losing home games to London Irish and Wasps, and nothing away from Millmoor, yet the Titans seem to have a renewed confidence about Saturday’s game. Perhaps it’s the different surroundings; perhaps it’s the fact that they have nothing to lose; or more worryingly, it might be that they’re playing another team yet to win in the league in 2004.

I think it’s fair to say that 28^th December, and a win over Northampton is a long time away - but that’s the last time Falcons won in the Premiership. Since then, two draws and six defeats have contrasted with the three Powergen wins that led to Hugh Vyvyan picking up the trophy. One thing’s for sure, and that’s that one of the two records will be improved on Saturday afternoon. One other omen though - two of three ZP teams that Falcons downed in the cup run have gained revenge since the final, in Sale and Irish. Rotherham were the third team…

The game also brings to an end (for the moment at least) the Falcons careers of Hugh Vyvyan and Jon Dunbar. Huge heads for Sarries after playing in his 109^th Premiership game and eight years at the club, whilst JD will be appearing in his 49^th league game before heading off into the Tykes back row next season. Both will be huge losses to the club, and with Huge saying this week that he will “absolutely hate it when [he has] to play Newcastle.” and that “it’ll be horrible”, you can tell that they will both miss the north east as well. Both have contributed greatly, and they go with our best wishes for every success in the future - except when they’re playing Falcons, of course!

Jamie Noon makes his fiftieth consecutive league start, the first Premiership players to do so, and in doing so, is the only Falcons player to start every league game this season - the closest to him being Tom May and Ian Peel, who both make their 21^st start, with one appearance each coming from the bench. Last week’s debutant, Matthew Tait, goes back to the day job of A levels having made such an impression last weekend, causing Dewi Morris to ask Stuart Barnes on Sky’s Rugby Club whether he was going to become his new love-child. Well, it’d make a change from James Simpson-Daniel!

The teams, therefore, are:-

Rotherham

15 Bernardo Stortoni
14 Anthony Elliott
13 Jon Pritchard
12 Mike Umaga
11 Giscard Pieters

10 Phil Jones
9 Guy Easterby

1 John Rawson
2 Andy Long
3 Colin Noon
4 Glen Kenworthy
5 Luke Gross
6 Des Tuiavii
7 Neil Spence
8 Brad Macleod - Henderson

16 Simon Bunting
17 Chris Johnson
18 Reinier Volschenk
19 Geraint Lewis
20 Charlie Harrison
21 Jon Benson

22 Jason Keyter

Falcons

15 Michael Stephenson
14 Tom May
13 Jamie Noon
12 Mark Mayerhofler
11 Ben Gollings
10 Dave Walder
9 Hall Charlton
1 Ian Peel
2 James Isaacson
3 Marius Hurter
4 Stuart Grimes
5 Craig Hamilton
6 Phil Dowson
7 Warren Britz
8 Hugh Vyvyan (captain)

Replacements:

Micky Ward
Matt Thompson
Andy Buist
Jon Dunbar
James Grindal
Phil Godman
Daryl Lilley or Mark Wilkinson

As for how it’s going to go - well, Falcons have hammered Roth twice this season, in the league and cup, and despite this new found optimism, the 75-13 pasting at Leicester last weekend will not have helped spirits. Falcons to prolong the misery and end the season on a high with a maximum points haul.