Jersey V Newcastle Falcons

The Falcons were born as Gosforth Football Club in 1877, when a group of old boys from Durham School met in a private house in Gosforth. The club had a nomadic existence up until the middle of the 20th century and in those early years had to play wherever and whenever they could. A fundraising effort eventually saw the club purchase a ground of its own in 1951. The ground officially opened in 1955, as the club became more ambitious with Gosforth increasingly dominating local rugby.

 

In the 1971-72 season the club was captained by Jack Rowell, who would later go on to coach Bath and England successfully. With no league tables as such, Gosforth's rising success was measured by their illustrious fixture list and their triumphs in the cup finals of 1976 and 1977 – the forerunner to what is now the Powergen Cup. The team of that era was packed with household names such as England's Roger Uttley, Peter Dixon, David Robinson and Scotland's Duncan Madsen, to name but a few. It was by far the most memorable time that the club had experienced.

 

In 1989 they decided to sell their North Road Ground and set about purchasing the ground at Kingston Park, and in 1990 they moved into their new home, also under a new name – Newcastle Gosforth. Up-and-down results and financial problems beset the club and in September 1995 it was to undergo another major change, when Newcastle United soccer chairman Sir John Hall realised his long-held dream of establishing a Newcastle sporting club.

 

With Gosforth's fortunes on and off the field diminishing somewhat, Hall's involvement could hardly have come at a better time. Newcastle became the first fully professional club in the world, installing Rob Andrew as Director of Rugby as well as a raft of other high-profile signings. Dean Ryan and Steve Bates were enlisted as key coaching and playing figures, while the likes of All Black Inga Tuigamala, Scotland’s Gary Armstrong and Doddie Weir, and England's Tony Underwood soon followed. The 1996-97 season saw the first under the current name of Newcastle Falcons in the club colours of black and white, as the club earned promotion from the National Second Division to the Premiership at the first attempt.

 

The following season, 1997-98, would go down the biggest in the club's history, as the all-star squad sensationally went on to lift the Allied Dunbar Premiership trophy in their first season back in the top flight.

 

In 1999 the latest chapter in the club took flight, when current chairman Dave Thompson bought out Hall's Sporting Club shareholding. Thompson, a businessman but also a keen local rugby man ensured that professional rugby survived in the north-east. It was with his backing that the club reached the 2001 Tetley's Bitter Cup final, where a last-minute try secured a dramatic late win over Harlequins. The team then repeated this success in 2004, their last major honour to date, a thrilling Powergen Cup final victory over Sale Sharks.

 

Recent history in the league has seen little success. Since winning the Premiership in 1997-98, their best finish was sixth and whilst last season was an improvement on wins and points gained to the season before, they finished rock bottom. Initially they had a reprieve from relegation, as London Welsh were not believed to have met the criteria needed to gain promotion to the top flight after their play-off win. But after a subsequent court battle, Welsh won promotion and condemned the Falcons to the Championship. Dean Richards was appointed Director of Rugby this summer following three years out of the game due to the ‘Bloodgate scandal’.

 

A former England international with 48 caps, playing in four World Cups and twice touring with the British and Irish Lions (six matches), Richards brings a wealth of experience, having won four Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups with Leicester as well as guiding Harlequins to promotion back to the top-flight at the first attempt. It would be anything other than a shock if this feat was not repeated this season.

 

Famous ‘Son’

Newcastle has had many famous players through the years, none more so than Jonny Wilkinson – scorer of 1938 points, 1179 international points, not to mention the small matter of 67 Lions points. Still ranked second only to New Zealand’s Dan Carter in the international standings, Wilkinson was as talismanic for the Falcons as he was to England, and his kicking took the team to its only Premiership title as well as two Powergen Cup triumphs.

 

The season so far.

It’s fair to say that Newcastle is by far the best side in the division. Unbeaten in the league with nine from nine, amassing 345 points with only 110 conceded, comfortably twelve points clear of Bedford, as well as two thumping wins in the British and Irish Cup and a friendly success against the Tongan national side. However there has been criticism of their style, they place a heavy emphasis on combative play, primarily through the forwards and less emphasis on the open expansive play we perhaps expect from a team with such talent. That said anything gained from this match will be a bonus for Jersey, especially after the capitulation in Bristol. One thing is for sure, coach Dean Richards would much rather have been playing Jersey a few weeks previously, than now - Jersey experiencing a four game winning run with confidence flowing through the side. We can only hope that the Falcons long journey down from Tyneside after being softened up by a physical Tongan side last week will work in Jersey’s favour and cause what would be the shock of the season so far.

 

Who to look out for.

 

James Hudson.

Second Row.

Leads the lineout well, the Falcons favour driving the ball when close to the opposition line. Hudson joined the Falcons in the summer of 2009, from London Irish. A renowned line out specialist with pace to burn in the loose, Hudson broke on to the Premiership scene with Bath, having served his apprenticeship under the likes of England stalwarts Steve Borthwick and Danny Grewcock. The 2009-10 season saw Hudson as one of the Falcons' focal points, appearing in all 22 league games before being deservedly rewarded with the club captaincy for the 2010-11 campaign having also helped England Saxons to Churchill Cup glory in North America.

 

Jimmy Gopperth.

Fullback.

Raised in Taranaki, Gopperth previously played for the Wellington Lions and then the Hurricanes and Blues in the Super 14’s, scoring over 450 points in his time there. Another Junior All Black, he signed for the Falcons in 2009 and was tasked with filling the departing boots of Jonny Wilkinson. He won the Gilbert Golden Boot as the league’s top points scorer in his first two seasons and it was largely due to his kicking that they managed to stave off relegation the season before last. A key man to the Falcons ambitions, unsurprisingly he is the Championship's top scorer this season with 150 points. He has found himself at fullback in the last two games, offering a real counter attacking threat. His kicking game has been absolutely key to the Falcons success and he has returned errant opposition kicks with interest.

 

Allister Hogg. (Captain)

Number 8/Flanker.

A former Scottish international, Hogg has also played basketball for Scotland at under-16 level. He graduated from Telford College in Edinburgh with an HND in Sports Coaching & Sports Development. Hogg made his international debut aged 21. He established himself as one of Scotland's best players. His pace, strength, skill, and work ethic saw All Blacks open-side flanker Richie McCaw rate him as one of the best back rows in the game, shortly after he missed being selected for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

The first Scotland forward in 20 years to score a hat-trick of tries in one match when he plundered a treble during the 42–0 World Cup win over Romania in 2007. A useful sevens player for Scotland, Hogg joined the Falcons from Edinburgh in the summer of 2010, after scoring 16 tries in his 92 Magners League appearances for Edinburgh as well as a further five tries in 35 Heineken Cup outings.

 

Rory Lawson.     

Scrum Half.

(Possibly on international duty but not involved v S. Africa last weekend)

 

A current Scottish international. In the summer of 2006 he moved to Premiership side Gloucester, gaining his first international cap against Australia in the autumn of that year. He was also a member of Scotland's 2007 Rugby World Cup Squad. Lawson joined the Falcons in the summer of 2012 as the club's recruitment drive went full tilt ahead of the arrival of incoming director of rugby Dean Richards. The 31-year-old scrum-half brings a wealth of experience to Kingston Park, having being capped 30 times by Scotland, having established himself as one of Europe's top scrum-halves, captaining Scotland on five occasions, most recently at the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand. Lawson has demonstrated his class at domestic level with Gloucester, helping the Cherry and Whites lift the LV= Cup and reach the Aviva Premiership play-offs in 2011.

 

Jon Golding.

Loose Head Prop.

Previously playing for Rotherham and Northampton Saints who he signed for after leaving the Leicester acadamy, Golding joined the Newcastle Falcons for the start of the 2006–07 season. After representing England at under-19 level, Golding was unfortunate to be denied England Under-21s honours when he was concussed during the final trial at that age group. However he did finally earn international recognition when he helped England Saxons to victory at Italy 'A' in 2008.

After strong form in the early part of the 2009–10 season, Golding was a contender to be in the senior England squad for the 2010 Six Nations Championship but a broken rib sustained against London Wasps kept him out for the duration of the tournament

The 2009-10 season saw Golding star in 20 appearances for the Falcons, earning himself man-of-the-match honours in the televised games against Wasps and Montauban. This was enough to earn him a call-up to the England squad for their Australasian tour in the summer of 2010, with the Falcons Players' Player of the Season appearing against the Barbarians at Twickenham and twice against the Australian Barbarians.

 

Tane Tu'ipulotu.

Centre.

Nicknamed ‘King’. Tu’ipulotu was born in Tonga. A gifted athlete, he was the New Zealand secondary schools pole vault champion in 1999. He played for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition, and has previously represented the Pacific Islanders and the Junior All Blacks in 2007 as well as in the U-19 and U-21 World Cups for New Zealand. He may have received more international honours but for injuries and the fact he was competing for places against greats such as Tana Umaga, Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith. In his second stint as a Falcon after first signing for three seasons in 2008, Tu'ipulotu rejoined the Falcons in the summer of 2012 from Japanese side Yamaha Jubilo.