Newcastle Falcons claim second win in the Aviva Premiership against Gloucester
Newcastle Falcons recorded their second win in the Aviva Premiership after they beat Gloucester 12-6 at Kingston Park on Sunday.
The match was played in terrible conditions and neither team managed to score any tries. Newcastle’s Jimmy Gopperth scored four penalties, while Gloucester could only reply with two of their own through Freddie Burns, as they struggled to cope with the weather.
Newcastle started the match brightly and opened the scoring in the second minute. Gopperth kicked a penalty from 30m after Gloucester was judged to have been offside.
Newcastle scrum-half Micky Young almost sent Gcobani Bobi over the line after a quick penalty, but the player was forced into touch by a scrambling Gloucester defence.
Gloucester gave away another needless penalty, as they tried to run the ball out from deep in their own half, only to infringe at the break-down.
Gopperth knocked over the penalty from right in front of the posts to give Newcastle a 6-0 lead.
Injuries to Gloucester prop Tim Ryan and winger Charlie Amesbury disrupted the flow of the match and the rhythm of Gloucester, who was searching for its fifth win in a row.
Newcastle defended stoutly towards the end of the first half and denied Gloucester a try.
However, Gopperth scored a penalty against the run-off play just before half-time, when Gloucester was penalised for holding on to the ball in a ruck.
Newcastle scored another penalty after the restart to put them into a commanding 12-0 lead.
Gloucester scored their first points of the match when Burns knocked over a penalty, as Newcastle was penalised for going over the top at a ruck.
Gopperth missed a good drop goal chance before Burns knocked over another penalty to reduce Newcastle’s lead to 12-6.
Newcastle defended doggedly in the final few minutes, and a combination of some good defending and a slippery ball in torrid weather conditions allowed for the home side to hold out and prevail.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the Newcastle Falcon’s director of rugby Alan Tait said, "I thought first half we were very positive, great tactics, thought Jerry Manning was outstanding at putting the ball downfield and Micky Young was sniping all
day. Although there wasn't a try on show I thought there was enough in the first that to justify that lead and in the second half it got a bit nip and tuck, with the lads not quite boxing it off.”
Gloucester’s director of rugby Bryan Redpath said, "I think three dull penalties in the first half was the difference. We didn't kick the points at that time and potentially we should have.”
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