It’s been a tough time for Newcastle Falcons in the Gallagher Premiership this season. Currently sat at the bottom of the table with seventeen points from twelve games, it hasn’t been easy. March 3rd sees a bottom of the table clash between the Falcons and the Worcester Warriors, who are sat just above them in eleventh place with twenty-one points from twelve games. The Falcons should be confident going into this game with the knowledge that they beat the Warriors 20-23 back in September last year.
The start of 2019 has seen some heavy defeats for the Falcons in all competitions. After a good start in the Heineken Challenge Cup earlier in the season, it’s been a bit of a challenge for the Falcons since then. January blues hit them hard as they suffered defeats to Montpellier and Toulon in the Cup and to third placed Harlequins in the Premier League.
The Falcons have lost nine games overall in the Gallagher Premiership this season. However, not all of these losses have been colossal. In fact, some of their games have been rather tight and they’ve been unlucky to lose. They were narrowly defeated at home by mid-table Wasps 22-23 in September and just missed out against Gloucester in December, losing 17-20.
However, the Falcons need not be disheartened going forward this season. Although they have had a difficult start to their season, they can take a lot of positives from their recent spell in the Premiership Rugby Cup. Newcastle smashed the mid-table Sale Sharks 28-12 in the competition. The performances of players including Vereniki Goneva, Mark Wilson and Johnny Williams have been consistent throughout all competitions, with them providing the much needed tries. Additionally the presence of former England fly-half Toby Flood has been major for the Falcons, supplying crucial conversions and penalty kicks.
The Falcons have a tough upcoming month in the Premiership, facing the top of the table team Exeter Chiefs at the end of the month. However, arguably their most exciting game is "The Big One" on 23rd March 2019 when they take on Sale Sharks at St James' Park. With the Sharks being their north-most rivals, this certainly has the ingredients to make for a tasty meeting between the two teams. Tickets for this game are on sale now, with £10 tickets for students making it the perfect opportunity to watch some quality local sport.
