The manner in which we scored a lot of our tries was important. With all due respect to L'Aquila they're obviously not Premiership standard, but we had set our stall out to improve our forward play and are happy with the results. We scrummaged well, the line out was very good, we drove effectively and when we needed to move the ball we did just that.
Newcastle started the match with flanker Mike McCarthy on the wing with no available specialist cover, and only 15 minutes in to the match another flanker, Cory Harris, was also forced out of position on to the wing after James Hoyle left the field with illness.
We didn't think they would look out of position to be honest, because we always try to play the game in open spaces and that means they're used to being out wide anyway, said Andrew, heralding the work of Harris and McCarthy.
Our forwards are all comfortable on the ball and there was never going to be a big problem there when Hoyle went off. We even managed to keep Matt Burke as an unused replacement which was a major goal, because he needed a rest after starting every single game this season.
Hoyley had been feeling ill on the morning of the game, just a 24-hour bug, but he said he felt okay to play, then once the game had started it got much worse and he started throwing up on the field, so we had no choice but to take him off.
Andrew even joked ahead of Sunday's return match at Kingston Park: We get Mathew Tait back next week, but after today he will have to earn his place if he wants to push Cory or Macca out of the team!
Andrew also had praise for starting debutant Jonny Williams who completed the full 80 minutes, stating: I'm really pleased with how Jonny went.
He was outstanding against a big Stellenbosch pack last weekend for the Academy, did extremely well again today and we think he has a big future at this club if he keeps developing at the current rate.
Looking further ahead to next weekend against L'Aquila at home, and the possibility of progression to the quarter finals, Andrew said: The tone for next weekend is just 'same again' because you can't do any more than we did this afternoon.
There were 43 points in each half, we have kept the opposition to nil, we held our shape for 80 minutes, tactically we made good decisions and I can't ask any more of the team.
We have to win this group first in order to get in to a position whereby we might be top seeds, the significance being a home quarter and semi final, but we aren't getting ahead of ourselves and we're just focusing on winning each game to secure our passage through.
The number of tries scored could well be the determining factor in getting a home draw though, and to get 14 away from home as we did today takes some serious doing.
