Newcastle 12 London Irish 12

The Guinness Premiership game between Newcastle Falcons and London Irish at Kingston Park on Saturday Feb 20 2010.

There was no question that this was an opportunity lost, but you could have a lively old debate about which team actually lost it.

London Irish will kick themselves for squandering the 12-0 lead they opened up in the first 26 minutes, but Newcastle will feel just as bad about their failure to close out their energetic second-half comeback with a win.

All things considered, the draw was hardly a travesty, especially on a pitch that was in terrible shape at the start and carved up terribly thereafter. "It was never going to be an open, flowing game,"acknowledged Steve Bates, the Newcastle coach.

But the sooner the Kingston Park agronomists get to work on the wretched surface the sooner their paying public might see some entertainment.

All things considered, it was remarkable that Newcastle did not hammer home their second-half superiority by stuffing the ball up the XXLjumper of Carl Hayman, the mighty prop who was the game's outstanding player.

Hayman is said to be uncertain about whether to go back to his native New Zealand at the end of this season or not; he will be a massive loss to Newcastle of the lure of his homeland proves too great.

Newcastle had another Kiwi, Jimmy Gopperth, to thank for all their points, but the fly-half's four penalties could not disguise the fact the rest of his game was decidedly shaky.

Bates paid credit to Gopperth for at least trying to keep the game moving, but a more conservative strategy would probably have brought more points.

Goodness knows, it worked well enough for London Irish before the break. Having failed to reach the line by the scenic route they switched to narrower tactics and collected two quick tries from fiercely effective forward drives.

The first, after 22 minutes, fell to number 8 George Stowers, who barrelled over from short range after a technically perfect driving maul.

The second, four minutes later, was claimed by Steffon Armitage, diving between the posts after the ball had been churned through countless rucks.

That should have been all the platform London Irish needed. But Newcastle kicked it from under them, dominating territory and possession in a one-sided second half. With a little more composure they would surely have overwhelmed their guests on the scoreboard as well.

Gopperth kicked his goals well enough. Remarkably, this was Newcastle's fourth draw of the season, but the north-east side will reflect on the game’s one that should have gone into their win column instead.

Match details

Scores: 0-5 Stowers try, 0-12, Armitage try, 0-14 Homer con, 3-12 Gopperth pen, 6-12, Gopperth pen, 9-12 Gopperth pen, 12-12 Gopperth pen.

Newcastle: A Tait; D Williams, G Bobo, Tu’ipulotu, C Amesbury (R Vickerman 24); J Gopperth, M Young; J Golding, R Vickers, C Hayman (captain), J Hudson, T Swinson, BWilson, W Welch (M Sorenson 59), P Browne (J Afu 55).
London Irish: T Homer; T Ojo, E Seveali’i, S Mapusua, P Hewat; C Malone (R Lamb 55), P Hodgson; C Dermody, D Paice (J Buckland 62), P Ion (F Rautenbach 46), K Roche, B Casey (capt; A Perry 70), R Thorpe (J Gibson 55), S Armitage, G Stowers.
Referee: R Debney.
Att: 5,168.