Border Telegraph | Sport | Battling Borders grow up

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Tuesday, 1st November, 2005 10:41

Battling Borders grow up

By Border Telegraph Sport

Border Reivers 11, Newcastle Falcons 26

BATTLING Borders grew up measurably despite defeat by Falcons in the European Challenge Cup game on Sunday afternoon at Netherdale.

The fact that the players' heads were down in the dressing room at the end of a pulsating afternoon reflected the effort that had gone in and the disappointment at the outcome.

In the end there was only one try between the sides, with the rest of the damage done by fly half Jonny Wilkinson.

The Lions star had a mixed day with the boot, kicking four penalties and two conversions while missing two and sending a drop goal wide.

But it was a measure of the Borders' performance that the best crowd of the season, 4029, stood and applauded the players off the field.

Against a team of all stars, Wilkinson, Matt Burke, Jamie Noon, Toby Flood and Colin Charvis to name a few, the Reivers battled well, but were unable to claw back 16-3 half-time deficit.

The pack was magnificent, Semo Sititi collecting the Man-of-the-Match award, and Newcastle's Rugby Director, Rob Andrew, admitted: `Their forwards gave us a real battle.`

Then he added, a bit too severely: `The pitch suited them. If it had been a dry day, they would have been in serious trouble.`

The Reivers can forget that and look back on a game, which was no lost cause. They just lacked the cutting edge to break down the Falcon barriers.

Charlie Hore missed a penalty in the first minute after Falcons were caught offside.

They paid the penalty when Wilkinson kicked the opening goal in six minutes after Scott Gray failed to hold a pass in midfield and, from recycled ball, Reivers were caught offside.

Falcons exercised control and Hall Charlton breached the defence and Wilkinson sent Toby Flood over in the right-hand corner and Wilkinson converted.

The Lion should have added more misery for the Reivers, but he inexplicably put a penalty wide from outside the '22'.

Wilkinson then missed a drop goal attempt, but made amends with a penalty from 40 metres after Sititi was caught offside and received a warning from the referee, Guilo Di Santis.

Wilkinson took the score to 0-16 with his third penalty, again with Reivers offside.

Simon Danielli was stopped in the corner after Stuart Moffat started a move with Ben MacDougall, and involved Gray and Bruce Douglas.

But they were rewarded when Falcons were penalised and Hore kicked the penalty from in front of the posts.

Reivers finished strongly and Matt Tait was penalised for a late tackled on Danielli. But the award came too close to the interval to allow Reivers any incentive and Hore could only kick it into touch as the half-time whistle blew.

Hore cut the deficit with his second penalty, once more for offside.

The Reivers stepped up a gear but were unable to make the breakthrough, the final pass wiping out the chances of a try. And they counted the cost when Matt Thomson was on hand for the try and Wilkinson added the goal points.

But the Borders got the try they deserved when from a line-out, Paul Thomson was driven over the line and Hore missed the conversion.

Again it was crucial as Wilkinson wound down the clock with his fourth penalty and then missed a fifth.

It was just too much for the Reivers, who can hold their heads high.

That's the level at which they want to compete. They are getting that step closer.

Border Reivers - S. Moffat; S. Danielli, B. MacDougall, G. Law and N. Walker; C. Hore and C. Cusiter; P. Thomson, R. Ford, B. Douglas, O. Palepoi, M. Blair, S. Gray, S. Sititi and A.Miller. Subs used - S. Scott, T. McGee, J. Dalziel, K. Brown, B. McKerchar and S. Cranston.

Newcastle Falcons - M. Burke; T. May, J. Noon, T. Flood and M. Tait; J. Wilkinson and H. Charlton; G. Anderson, M. Thompson, T. Paoletti, L. Gross, G. Parling, M. McCarthy, C. Charvis and C. Harris. Subs used: M. Ward, A. Buist, D. Wilson, O. Finegan, J. Smithson and J. Grindal.

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