Newcastle end 25-match losing run with stirring win over Exeter

Gallagher Premiership

Newcastle (14) 24

Tries: Van der Walt, Blamire (2) Cons: Grayson (3) Drop goal: Grayson

Exeter (11) 18

Tries: Feyi-Waboso, Hodge Cons: Hodge Pens: Hodge (2)

Newcastle Falcons finally brought their 25-match losing run to an end with a stirring victory in their battle of the basement against Exeter Chiefs.

A Kingston Park crowd starved of a victory for 19 months roared Steve Diamond’s side on as they took advantage of an error-strewn Chiefs performance.

Two tries from Jamie Blamire, one from Philip van der Walt and two conversions and a drop goal from makeshift stand-off Ethan Grayson proved enough to overcome the visitors.

Exeter, who had taken an early lead through Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, had no answer to the home momentum as the match progressed, pressing the self-destruct button by giving up penalty after penalty.

Rob Baxter’s side remain above Newcastle at the foot of the table, thanks to bonus points earned, but are still without a win in five so far this season.

Something had to give between two struggling sides, with Exeter coming into the game on the back of their worst Premiership start and the Falcons winless for 581 days, a run stretching back to March 2023.

Initially it looked like it was the hosts who would wilt with the Chiefs making a flying start, Feyi-Waboso finishing off a sweeping left to right move in the corner after just four minutes.

Far from letting their shoulders slump, Newcastle dug in and after Josh Hodge had missed a difficult conversion from the right touchline, they soon got their noses in front.

Exeter, forced backwards not by fast line breaks but by their own mistakes, ended up defending desperately as the Falcons probed close to the line.

Van der Walt finally found a way through on 18 minutes, with Grayson adding the extras to give them the lead.

Chiefs briefly regained the initiative with two penalties from Hodge to make it 11-7 in their favour but indiscipline saw them give up 13 penalties in the first hour of the game.

On the half-hour mark Blamire’s first try, a tap-and-drive with the hooker breaking through two tacklers five metres out, saw Falcons edge in front.

Exeter were their own worst enemies throughout.

Richard Capstick saw yellow for entering the maul from an offside position just before half-time and although Exeter managed to shut out Newcastle while he was off, the effort seemed to tell as the Falcons came on strong in the second period.

Blamire bullied his way over for a second and when Grayson added a drop goal from 30 metres to make it 24-11, the home fans started to believe.

Exeter made them sweat right to the end though, with Hodge finishing off a pitch-length move and slotting a brilliant conversion tight against the left touchline.

But with six points the difference, a knock-on as Exeter tried to start one final push from their own 22 brought the final whistle.

Newcastle Falcons head coach Steve Diamond told BBC Radio Newcastle:

“I’m delighted, it is a monkey off the club’s back – the longest run of losses – but I can’t do anything about that, I’ve been here six months.

“We are trying to build something, which is taking time, but the job in hand is trying to put performances together like that at home.

“I saw it a little bit against Bristol, didn’t see it against Leicester, but we have simplified everything and tonight was the first time we stuck to the plan.

“We made a defensive error in the first five minutes but we were pleased to go in in front. Two sides who have been struggling, it was an arm wrestle and what we had to do was stay in it and a win tonight was crucial.”

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon:

“I am not going to run away and say anything different – it wasn’t a great performance was it?

“We actually started pretty well and had a lot of control of the game but our ability just to hang in things at the moment is quite poor.

“We just have to instil a bit of confidence in the lads but as they just said if we don’t hang on to the ball it doesn’t matter what the gameplan is.

“We are a Jekyll and Hyde team at the moment. We have some great moments in us and we have real ability but also an ability to break up ourselves.”

Newcastle: Redshaw; Radwan, Doherty, Arnold, Stevenson; Grayson, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, Palframan, Rubiolo, Hawkins, Van der Walt, Gordon, Chick (capt).

Replacements: Fletcher, De Bruin, McCallum, Lockwood, Scott, Davis, Hearle, Hutchison.

Exeter: Hodge; Feyi-Waboso, Woodburn, Hawkins, Brown-Bampoe; Skinner, Maunder; Sio, Yeandle (capt), Street, Tuima, Molina, Roots, Capstick, Vintcent.

Replacements: Innard, Blose, Iosefa-Scott, Tshiunza, Fisilau, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley.

Sin-bin: Capstick 36

Referee: Luke Pearce