Premiership
Wasps 35 Falcons 21
Tuesday 20 September 2022
Newcastle Falcons began their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign with defeat in Coventry on Tuesday night, as Wasps took the full five points.
The hosts led 21-0 at half-time and registered the first score of the evening after just five minutes, kicking a lineout to the right corner and working the ball infield from where Kieran Curran ploughed over from a pick-and-go.
Former Falcon Will Haydon-Wood added the simple conversion from in front, Newcastle growing into the game by winning a string of penalties, only for Wasps’ defence to hold firm.
The home side doubled their lead midway through the opening half, with a similar pattern to their first try as a penalty was kicked to the corner, a maul was worked infield and the resulting pick-and-go brought a try for Greg Fisilau.
Haydon-Wood again slotted the conversion, his side trying and failing to add a third try from a tap penalty five metres out as they were penalised for sealing off at the resulting ruck.
That third try eventually arrived just after the half-hour, again from a lineout in the left corner as hooker Michael van Vuuren scored from a driving maul.
Haydon-Wood’s conversion extended Wasps’ lead to 21-0, and that was how it remained at the break as Newcastle enjoyed a spell of red-zone pressure without managing to make it count on the scoreboard.
The Falcons changed their entire front row at half-time and emerged with renewed gusto for the start of the second 40, winning repeated penalties in the home half and applying forward pressure.
But it was from the backs that the try eventually came on 51 minutes, Nathan Greenwood marking his debut with a try when the 18-year-old received a pass from Zach Kerr 35 metres out down the right – Jeremy Civil having opened the gap with a back-hand offload.
Louie Johnson added the conversion from wide out on the right, but Wasps had the four-try bonus point just before the hour mark when they kicked a penalty to the right corner and Van Vuuren once again steered a maul over the try-line.
Replacement Harry Craven followed that up with a more expansive try three minutes later when the replacement collected an inside offload to score their fifth converted try.
Greenwood continued to be a bright spark in attack for the Falcons with a string of runs in broken-field, chipping and chasing down the right and narrowly missing out on a second try.
Wasps were reduced to 14 men when Haydon-Wood was sin-binned for a mid-air shot on Greenwood under a high bomb, and the Falcons found a second try with five minutes to go when lock Josh Peters scored on his competitive debut from a close-range pick and go.
Johnson’s conversion reduced the arrears to 21, but the visitors managed to have the final say when Iwan Stephens scored a converted try in the left corner from a quick transfer through the hands.
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo (Rory Ward, 68), 14 Nathan Greenwood, 13 Zach Kerr, 12 Louie Johnson, 11 Iwan Stephens, 10 Josh Thomas (Jeremy Civil, 20), 9 James Blackett (Ben Douglas, 55); 1 Conrad Cade (Mark Dormer, 40), 2 Charlie Maddison (captain, Ollie Fletcher, 40), 3 Conor Kenny (Richard Palframan, 40), 4 George Merrick (Will Hopes, 55), 5 Josh Peters, 6 Matt Deehan (George Bennett-Teare, 48), 7 Marcus Tiffen, 8 Tom Marshall.
Scorers – Tries: Nathan Greenwood, Josh Peters, Iwan Stephens. Conversions: Louie Johnson 3.
Wasps: 15 Olly Hartley, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Reikiti Maasi-White, 12 Will Simonds, 11 Luke Mehson, 10 Will Haydon-Wood (captain), 9 Francois Hougaard (Harry Craven, 40); 1 Zac Nearchou (Archie McArthur, 36), 2 Michael van Vuuren, 3 Elliot Millar-Mills, 4 Cam Dodson, 5 Theo Vukasinovic, 6 Fyn Brown, 7 Kieran Curran, 8 Greg Fisilau (James Tunney, 40).
Scorers – Tries: Kieran Curran, Greg Fisilau, Michael van Vuuren 2, Harry Craven. Conversions: Will Haydon-Wood 5.
Referee: Andrew Jackson.
Source – Newcastle Falcons Rugby
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
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Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Will Addison, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Le Roux Roets, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Waisea Nayacalevu.
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Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
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