High Flying Saints Clip Falcons Wings

Hardly a classic match, but Saints did more than enough to beat a Newcastle team that seemed all at sea.

Straight from the kick-off Saints were attacking, Ben Cohen scoring on his return from England duty inside two minutes. The conditions didn't help Bruce's touchline conversion attempt and it was 5 - 0. This spurred Newcastle into action and a try in return from flanker Owen Finnegan drew the scores level, Walder missing a similar kick to Reihana's.

Carlos Spencer seemed to have lost the plot when he kicked a penalty from his own 22 over the dead ball line near the posts, but this was obviously part of a master plan. From the scrum, Spencer hacked on the spilt ball and dribbled it over the line. Another Reihana conversion went wide, but closer to the target than the first - 10 - 5.

An exchange of penalties in the lead up to half time seemed like Saints would go in 13 - 8 leaders, but another solid set of phases led injury returnee Pat Barnard to score, this time Reihana with the extras to give Saints a 20 - 8 lead and three tries at half time.

It had not been an entirely peaceful affair in the first half, ex-Saint Robbie Morris and flanker Paul Tupai getting a talking to from referee Tony "he knows" Spreadbury before recommencing hostilities in the second half. Early play in the half saw little real attacking, only a missed Reihana penalty to talk of.

However, about a quarter of an hour in, Saints were pushing but spilt the ball over the try line. Walder cleared the ball to a waiting Bruce, who sent recently shorn centre Jon Clarke in for the bonus point try. Carlos decided to take the conversion (with Bruce as placer) but a seemingly accurate kick was called out by the touch judges. 25 - 8 with 26 minutes left.

As ever, when Saints seem to have built an unassailable lead they let in a score. However, Elliot's try ten minutes from the end seemed only a consolation score - especially when Walder capped a mediocre performance by missing the conversion - and it fell to replacement flanker Darren Fox in the last minute to power over for Saints' fifth try, Bruce adding a simple conversion, to leave Jimmies with vertigo as they scaled the heights of sixth place in the league.

And that's where I leave you, dear reader. After 27 match reports and 3 previews, I've decided this will be my last matchday article for COYSDC. For those statistically minded: 27 reports, 12 wins, 15 losses - including an initial run of four defeats and a similar one until today. Some good times - wins against Toulouse, Llanelli and Leicester spring to mind - balanced with performances against Wasps, Sale and indeed Leicester that were regrettable to report on. See you around.