The years were rolled back at Kingston Park on Friday evening as some of the club’s famous faces of old reunited to face a star studded Southern Hemisphere team in a Legends Charity match.

Organised to raise funds for the Bill McLaren Foundation, Falcons Community Foundation and Wooden Spoon Foundation, the match was an entertaining encounter with a good standard of rugby played in front of just under 5,000 supporters.

While the pre match talk was of meeting up with old friends and enjoying time in each other’s company, the competitive streak in all of the players assembled was soon on display following the kick off.

Attacking with the flair and exuberance of their youth, both sides were out to make a show of it with the Falcons legends first to score through Jim Naylor.

A wayward kick from the Southern Hemisphere defence straight into the arms of Matt Burke saw a counter attacking run that put Naylor into space and score, before the Aussie added the conversion.

It wasn’t going to be an easy ride for the Falcons though, with the Southern Hemisphere helping themselves to two tries, one converted, of their own before Jamie Noon crossed for a try in the South West corner, again converted by the Wizard from Oz.

Leading 14-12 an intercept try swung the score back in the favour of the “away” team, before an injury to Mike Umaga brought the first forty to a close.

Enjoying the better share of the early stages of the second half, the Southern Hemisphere Legends had their lead stolen away by Andy Perry, as the second row powered over following a series of pick and go drives, with Tom May slotting a drop goal conversion.

With a more relaxed approach to defence strategy’s, the game continued to ebb and flow with tit for tat scores seeing the lead change hands three times in 15 minutes.

First, former Falcons scrum half finished a Southern Hemisphere breakaway to make it 21-26, before Michael Stephenson showed all the jet heeled pace of his glory days running in a score nonchalantly converted by May for 28-26.

An instant response put Gavin Kerr over for the visitors and a superb conversion from guest kicker Peter Beardsley give them the lead again at 28-33 before some daylight was put between them and the Falcons with a try in the North East corner.

Packed with players who made careers of battling to the end, tough as teak centre Noon got took his second try of the night with a surging run before his former centre partner May added the extras.

Two minutes to go and the scores at 35-38 the grandstand finishes that Kingston Park has played host to so many times in the past was set up only for the Southern Hemisphere Legends to cross on the stroke of full time.

In a dramatic twist, instead of extending their lead by five, showboating in the act of scoring was punished by a three point deduction; leaving matters at 35-35 with a pressure kick from Beardsley needed to win it.

With a forfeit of buying the first round post match on the table for missing, the Newcastle United coach succumbed to the occasion, drifting his kick wide.

With the match completed, supporters and players alike congregated on the pitch to celebrate a hugely successful evening and to look forward to a massive week of rugby within the North East.

**Newcastle Falcons Legends** 15 Matt Burke 14 Michael Stephenson 13 Pete Massey 12 Jamie Noon 11 Jim Naylor 10 Tom May 9 Gary Armstrong; 1 Micky Ward 2 Steve Brotherstone 3 Robbie Morris 4 Garath Archer 5 Doddie Weir 6 Hugh Vyvyan 7 Cory Harris 8 Ben Woods

Replacements: 16 Ian Peel 17 Stuart Grimes 18 Jason Oakes 19 Andy Perry 20 Andrew Mower 21 Peter Walton 22 Jim Jenner 23 Hall Charlton 24 Anth Elliott 25 Rob Andrew

**Southern Hemisphere Legends** 15 Thinius Delport 14 Stefan Treblanche 13 Andre Snyman 12 Terry Fanolua 11 Mike Umaga 10 Henry Paul 9 James Grindal; 1 James Isaacson 2 Kati Tuipolotu 3 Marius Hurter 4 Carlo Del Fava 5 Opeta Palepoi 6 Junior Paramore 7 Apolosi Satala 8 Alfie To’oala

16 Gavin Kerr 17 Craig Hamilton 18 James Ponton 19 Tim Fourie 20 Lome Fa’atau 21 Dan Scarborough 22 Spencer Davey 23 David Richardson 24 Peter Beardsley