Match Report: Northampton Saints 61-0 Newcastle Falcons

Northampton Saints wrapped up their 2024 with a 20th victory of the calendar year after defeating Newcastle Falcons 61-0 at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Maximum points were effectively secured by the interval with six unanswered tries being registered through Trevor Davison’s brace and one each for Alex Coles, Alex Mitchell, Josh Kemeny, and Tommy Freeman. 

Saints rung the changes in the second period and added three more tries, with Tom Pearson bagging a pair before Rory Hutchinson ran one in from deep in the game’s final play to send supporters home from cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens celebrating a fifteenth home win from 16 attempts across the 12-month period.

FIRST HALF

New signing Henry Walker (#2107) became the 19th player to make his competitive debut for Saints in 2024, when the 26-year-old became the fifth hooker to play in Black, Green and Gold this season following his recent arrival from Ealing Trailfinders. 

However, it was one of Saints’ most experienced campaigners, Alex Coles, who opened the scoring after just five minutes when he latched onto George Hendy’s pass to finish under the posts.

From a scrum near halfway a few minutes later, Fin Smith and Henry Pollock wreaked havoc and Coles almost wrestled his way over for a second. Upon the recycle, Mitchell fed Davison to cross against his former club.

Having scored once in his previous 40 games in Black, Green and Gold, tighthead Davison made it a quickfire double, ripping the ball free from Tom West’s grasp after making the initial inroads from a tapped penalty to apply the finishing touch.

It was from another five-metre penalty that Saints landed their bonus-point sealing try after just 15 minutes when Mitchell ghosted through an aching gap within the defence for his first of the season.

Next over the line approaching the half-hour mark was flanker Kemeny. The Australian marked his first match in eight weeks following a return from injury by latching onto Freeman’s break to cross with a galloping run.

Smith dusted himself down to land a fifth successful conversion but then saw yellow for an offence at the breakdown following a rare Newcastle foray into the attacking 22. 

Being reduced to 14-men didn’t stem the flow of scoring as Fraser Dingwall carried invitingly back towards the posts, feeding Freeman to reach over for his 49th try in 90 games for the club. Mitchell, stepping in for the temporarily unavailable Smith, struck a post with the subsequent conversion.

Newcastle had a golden chance to break their duck with the last play of the half as Ben Stevenson darted towards the left corner, only to be thwarted by Hendy’s despairing dive and clever dislodging of the ball.  

SECOND HALF

Director of Rugby Phil Dowson withdrew Davison, Pollock and Mitchell at the break and introduced Luke Green, Archie McParland and Iakopo Mapu – who produced a shuddering run from the base of a scrum to skittle defenders before fellow back rower Pearson arrived to scoop and finish from a few inches out. 

Pearson made it a quickfire double with a powerful drive from McParland’s pass to bring up the 50-point mark in almost as many minutes. Replacement Hutchinson, on in place of Smith, added the subsequent conversion.

Newcastle enjoyed longer spells of possession in the final quarter as their pursuit of a consolation score was repelled by a relentless and merciless home defence. 

It was after one energy-sapping period on the backfoot from which Saints registered their ninth and final try when a loose ball was scooped up and popped to Hutchinson who ran it home from 70 metres out and added a conversion for good measure.

The 61-0 victory gets Saints’ Gallagher Premiership title defence back on track, ahead of their next test on Sunday 5 January when the team they pipped to the 2023/24 title, Bath Rugby, are the visitors to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off: 3pm) as the first part of a double header of fixtures, with Loughborough Lightning’s Premiership Women’s Rugby clash against Saracens to follow (kick-off: 5.30pm). For ticket information, please click HERE.

LINE UPS:

SAINTS: 15 Hendy, 14 Freeman, 13 Litchfield, 12 Dingwall (c), 11 Sleightholme, 10 Smith, 9 Mitchell; 1 West, 2, Walker, 3 Davison, 4 Munga, 5 Coles, 6 Kemeny, 7 Pearson, 8 Pollock.
Replacements: 16 Langdon, 17 Haffar, 18 Green, 19 Mayanavanua, 20 Scott-Young, Mapu, McParland, Hutchinson.

FALCONS: 15 Brown, 14 Radwan, 13 Hearle, 12 Doherty, 11 Stevenson, 10 Connon, 9 Stuart; 1 McCallum, 2 Fletcher, 3 Palframan, 4 de Chaves, 5 McDonald, 6 Lockwood, 7 Gordon, 8 Chick (c).
Replacements: 16 Byrne, 17 Rewcastle, 18 Hancock, 19 Hawkins, 20 van der Walt, 21 O’Sullivan, 22 Metcalf, 23 Spencer.