Cup Fever Week -Saints v Newcastle 2002

Feathers ruffled....
By Chris in the Archive
February 26 2003

In our last look back at Saints previous national cup semi final encounters it's back twelve short months to that memorable evening at the Gardens where hurricane winds raged before the Saints simply blew the Falcons away..........

Its Twickers for Saints after superlative display!

By Chris G
Date: 11/3/2002

Oh what a night! The Saints were simply supreme! Even the combined might of hurricane force winds, Rob Andrews Falcons and Tony Spreadbury could not stop the lads booking their place in the Powergen Cup final on April 20th against our old friends London Irish.

Early in the afternoon there were doubts that the game would take place at all as strong winds battered the region, leaving trees and fences down and various parts of the Saints tented village trying to make their way down Abbey Street. With disruption to travel, including a few hundred who were stuck with no trains running, and the promise of the wind abating, kick off was put back to 6:00pm.

Of course the sites resident conspiracy theorist has suggested that this was all part of Smudgers masterplan. Get the supporters in the pubs and bars then give them and extra hour to ensure that they are even more 'louded up' before kickoff.

By the time kickoff did come around the wind had indeed dropped and the crowd was indeed louded up to brim. Everyone was in good voice throughout a crowd which included for the first time Keith Barwell after his recent illness. Welcome back Uncle Keith!

The teams ran out to a thunderous welcome and I'm not too sure what the two young mascots, sons of Nick Beal and Paul Grayson made of it all. Probably, blimey, does my Dad have to put up with this noise at work every week, but at least we met Bernie!!!

To the action. The Saints started in confident mood taking the game from the off to the Falcons and showing no early signs that Smudgers perceived gamble in playing youngsters Dan Richmond and Robbie Morris in the front row instead of internationals Steve Thompson and Tommy Smith was anthing over than rugby mastery. Indeed both lads had solid games and certainly we will be seeing much, much more of them in the coming years.

With the game just four minutes old the Saints got their first rewards. Inga Tuigamala chipped out of defence but could not gather the ball. The forwards took up the initiative led by the rampant Grant Seely out wide on the left. The ball was recycled through several drives before Grant found the gap and surged through four Falcons defenders for the score which almost took the roof off.

Larry converted and added two further penalties, including one for which Falcon Hugh Vyvan was carded for, but the Falcons defence held out and indeed could have scored themselves but for a storming tackle by Danny Richmond on Falcom man of the match Epi Taione. As if on cue though the Saints upped a gear on the half hour and in ten glorious minutes added 20 more points to the scoreboard in one of the best performances of combined back and forward play seen at the Gardens.

That man Ben Cohen ignited the fire bursting through after taking an inside pass from Larry. The England winger was held up short but the ball was recyled virtually on the line by the forwards twice before Matt Dawson, back to his very best, stepped up to send a beautifully weighted long looping pass out to the outstanding Peter Jorgensen who skipped in for the score. The roof took another shudder as the crowd swithed to party mood sensing the Falcons were there for the taking and Twickers was within their grasp.

Minutes later they were back again changing points of attack across the field at will leaving the Falcons defence grasping at air. Breakdown after breakdown sucked more and more defenders in until the ball was smartly passed out along the line to a waiting Grant Seely on the wing who dived over for his second score of the half.

Larry missed the difficult conversion but Falcons centre Tom May was harshly adjudged to have gone in late on two try Seely at the score giving a restarted penalty from the centre spot. Mr Grayson duly obliged hitting a powerful kick plum centre through the posts.

The Saints were on a high but not finished yet for the half. Again and again they drove back in to Falcons territory with the visitors defence at sixes and sevens as to where the next attack would come from. The Saints opted for a repeat of Grants second score. The defence was tied up after several drives and mauls to the left leaving Saints in numbers out right, after Matt Dawson had made the initial break and taken play deep into the Newcastle 22.

The ball again flew along the line with John Leslie and Robbie Morris doing fine work before Jorgy sent the ball out to winger Craig Moir. The Scotsman stepped inside the flailing arm of 'Inga the Winga' to score Saints fourth and the game was over as a contest at 33-0 even before the sides had a chance to eat their halftime oranges!

The first half was all about attack but the second period gave the Saints the chance to hone their defensive skills as again and again they held fast against the Falcons onslaught, even allowing for losing skipper Budge Pountney for ten minutes when he was adjudged to have come round the side to steal a ball that was clearly out. But then you can't have everything!

The Saints weathered the storm for most of the half then in a series of drives headed back upfield and into the Falcons territory. Again with the forwards having made massive inroads Peter Jorgensen stepped into the breach to take a pop pass in a gap just wide enough for him to stretch to the line for his second, and Saints fifth, score.

As the Saints fans celebrated the famous victory the Falcons grabbed a late, late consolation through Stephenson but nothing could dampen that atmosphere as yet again at the final whistle the roof took a final hammering in decibels.

As Bill McClaren might have said 'There'll be dancing in the streets of Jimmy's End tonight!

So on to Twickenham...........