
Richards rues late agony at Saracens
Alex Lozowski’s controversial last-minute try was awarded after a lengthy TMO delay with a question mark over a foot in touch, Richards saying: “You’d like to think we deserved something from that, but at the same time you’ve got to take your opportunities.
“We had three clear try-scoring chances in the first hour but we didn’t nail them, and a champion team like Saracens took pretty much every single opportunity they had. That’s the difference between the two sides, but I thought overall we actually played quite well.
“Our scrum was dominant in the first half, our line-out went really well and we had the chances – we just didn’t take them.
“We seemed to dominate territory when we were playing against the wind in the first half, and were in our own half a lot after the interval. It’s that understanding of how to use the wind that a lot of sides struggle with, and both teams probably did today.”
On the game’s decisive moment, Richards said: “Whether that was a try or not at the end, I don’t know.
“It didn’t look like it was to me, but we’ll probably never know for sure and it’s just one of those things. With decisions of that nature you just have to get them right, and ultimately there’s a push to make the decisions very quickly. I’d much prefer them to take 30 seconds longer, but I don’t know if it was a try or not and I’m not harping on about it.
“Credit to Saracens because they took their chances in a way that we were not able to, and that’s why they are where they are.”
Turning the focus to Friday night’s crucial visit of Leicester Tigers to Kingston Park, Richards added: “We will still take heart from the way we played and a lot of the things we did during the game.
“We’ll replicate that passion and drive against Leicester on Friday and it’ll be a big night against a good Tigers side.”
Tickets for Friday’s game are available by [**clicking here**][1].
[1]: https://www.eticketing.co.uk/newcastle-falcons/EDP/Event/Index/1387?