
Diamond: We were lucky to hold on
Director of rugby Steve Diamond admitted his Newcastle Falcons team had a lucky escape on Sunday as they clung on for a 31-28 Premiership Rugby Cup win over Doncaster Knights at Kingston Park.
Leading 28-0 at the break but having to withstand a monumental comeback, the Falcons boss said: “We were lucky to win it in the end, if I’m honest.
“Full credit to Doncaster because many a team would have given in at 28-0 down at half-time, but they came out energised for the second half and looked like they were going to nick it during that last few minutes.
“In the first half we did a lot of things well and it was looking like a professional performance worthy of some merit, and during half-time we asked the lads for more of the same.
“We made an error from the re-start, that gave Doncaster some momentum and we just stopped playing. The silence was deafening, nobody was communicating or doing the things that had gone well for us in the first half, and we have to address the reasons why.”

Ending with a huge goal-line stand with 80 minutes elapsed, Diamond added: “Credit to Donny because they’re a well-coached side with a number of good players, and they played well today.
“We did well to defend something like 30 phases on our own try-line at the end, and it’s just as well we did, because it looked like we were going to lose it.
“The lads have got to learn that when you’ve got your foot on the throat, you’ve got to keep it there. We showed our frailties with our lack of ambition in the second half, and lack of action. I went down pitch-side a couple of times and I couldn’t hear anything, because lads had gone into their shells.
“It’s a continual process for me and the coaching team to work on that, and in the emotional immediate aftermath of a game you can’t say too much. We’ll go away and watch the footage, but yeah I’m disappointed with that second half, clearly.
“It’s also worth remembering we’ve played two in the cup and won both with try-bonus points, which is what I asked the lads to do. Obviously there’s still lots to work on, but we also shouldn’t lose sight of the actual results. A win’s a win, but yeah, at 28-0 up you can’t be letting sides back into it like we did today.
“We conceded five or six line-breaks and they scored three tries from them, which is just unacceptable in terms of our basic defence. That said, a lot of credit needs to go to the Doncaster players and coaches, because they gave it a massive go despite going 28-0 down.”

Set to host Premiership rivals Sale Sharks in their next encounter, Diamond said: “We’ve got Sale at home a week on Friday in what looks like being a really important game in this group, and I’d expect Sale to significantly strengthen their selection for that one.
“We’ll do the same because it’s our last game before the return to the Premiership, and a lot of the regulars will come back.
“We’ve used these past couple of weeks to give runs to some people, and a number of them have put their hands up. A few of them haven’t, and that’s also useful as a director of rugby at this time of year when you’re looking at recruitment and retention.
“You don’t know how good people are until you put them in there, and not everyone will be up to it.”