Yorkshire Carnegie 10 Newcastle Falcons 36: ‘Valiant’ Yorkshire Carnegie showing signs of improvement says Phil Davies
ON HIS first home game since returning to the club, Yorkshire Carnegie director of rugby Phil Davies hailed his side’s “valiant” effort as they made unbeaten Championship leaders Newcastle Falcons work hard for victory.
The hosts, who stay bottom without a win, actually led in the first period and trailed their big-spending opponents just 19-10 in the 71st minute.
However, once prop Sione Faletau was sin-binned for persistent infringing in the scrum, Newcastle scored three late tries via Callum Chick, Michael Young and Josh Hodge to ram home their advantage.
Davies – the club’s most successful coach – was back in charge at Headingley for the first time since leaving Leeds Tykes in 2006.
He has been tasked with saving Carnegie from relegation and, though they lost 52-0 at Cornish Pirates the previous week, this was a vast improvement.
“I was really pleased with the whole day,” said the Welshman.
“There was a good crowd and the atmosphere was good according to the players. They rose to it a bit.
“It was just a valiant effort; we were well organised in defence and kept knocking them down, knocking them down.
“They deserved the victory but I think for us there was a lot more positive performance elements; there was lots of signs of what we’ve been working on and we have only had six sessions so I was really pleased with the boys.”
Carnegie, who head to Jersey Reds on Friday and are 15 points behind nearest rivals Bedford Blues, are hoping to strengthen imminently.
“We have a small, small budget but maybe a few of the Namibian boys who went to the (2019) World Cup with me will come in,” added Davies.
“Those guys would be good and it’s trying to find other guys actually who I’ve worked with and who understand the way we need to play so they can fit in quite seamlessly.
“We want to get to 30, 32 players so we can really start fighting. I can’t see us bringing in more than four but we have to build the skills and confidence of the players here over the next few months. That will be important.
“The core group is here and you’ve seen improvements today with no additions.”
Carnegie were clearly more organised yesterday, especially in defence, and their was a real zeal to their work at the breakdown, too.
Without player/coach Joe Ford due to illness, Dan Lancaster filled in admirably at fly-half and their display was all the more impressive given they also lost two players to injury inside the opening half-hour.
Firstly, ex-Newcastle scrum-half James Elliot had to depart after just nine minutes and then blindside Trystan Lloyd was left in agony clutching a leg as he ran to get back in the defensive line.
Still,they led briefly 10-5 after Alex Humfrey’s charge-down try in the 23rd minute only for Falcons to respond immediately via Jamie Blamire when Carnegie fumbled the restart.
Tim Swiel’s 51st-minute try, though, looked like being the only further difference until that final late flourish from the relegated Premiership club.
Yorkshire Carnegie: Robins (Metcalf 77); Lawson (Smith 70), Varndell, Carlisle, Shaw; Lancaster, Elliott (Green 9); Davidson (Ajayi 77), Brown (Mussetti 40), Faletau (Magee 80), Brady, Bloodworth, Lloyd (Els 30), Humfrey, Whitehurst (Hill 73).
Newcastle Falcons: Arscott; Hodge, Waldouck, Williams (Wacokecoke 78), Swiel; Hodgson (Connon 72), Takulua (Young 72); Lockwood (Davison 51) , Blamire (Maddison 51), Mulipola (Daniels 51), Peterson (Salmon 72), De Chaves, Chick, Graham , Nagusa (Uzokwe 78).
Referee: Joe James (RFU).