Northampton get first win as Falcons edged out

In the recent Gallagher Premiership match between Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints, Curtis Langdon managed to make an impressive try. However, it was Fin Smith's skillful kicks that ultimately secured the win for the Saints. The final score was 16-14, with Newcastle only managing to score points through the contributions of Stephens and Connon. Meanwhile, Northampton's successful efforts were thanks to Langdon and Smith, who both played key roles in securing the victory.

The Northampton Saints won their first match of the Premiership season against the Newcastle Falcons. The Newcastle Falcons are the only team that has not yet won in the competition.

Brett Connon and Fin Smith both scored two penalty kicks each in the first half of a match with no tries. The game was played in wet and chilly weather.

Curtis Langdon scored a try for Saints and Connon kicked a penalty to narrow the gap for Falcons. However, Smith also scored and increased the points for the visitors.

Newcastle's Iwan Stephens scored a late try, but unfortunately Connon was unable to convert it, causing them to fall short. This result was particularly disheartening as Newcastle is currently in last place.

The team of Phil Dowson, the Saints, may feel lucky to have won against his old club because the Falcons had better statistics during the game.

During the initial half, the Falcons dominated the scrum, performed strongly at the breakdown and put up a good fight during the line-out in a match that mostly took place between the two 22-meter lines.

Despite having a big pack, they rarely managed to overpower the Northampton line. Their points were mainly scored through kicks, which was a clear indication of their struggle. Additionally, the challenge was compounded by the slippery ball, making it hard for them to handle and gain traction.

It must be acknowledged that the guests produced the initial chance of the game as they successfully progressed across the line of scrimmage and Langdon was able to take advantage of open space to score a point.

The Falcons almost tied the game towards the end, when Northampton's George Hendy was sent to the sin-bin for multiple team offences. The Falcons attempted several pick-and-go drives and eventually passed the ball out wide for Stephens to score a try.

The kick that was made from the sideline slightly touched the post and Alex Codling, who is the Falcons head coach, will feel disappointed again because his team almost achieved a victory, and they earned their second extra point this season.

Alex Codling, the head coach for Newcastle, spoke with BBC Radio Newcastle and shared his thoughts.

I'm feeling really frustrated right now. During the first half of the game, we had the ball a lot of the time, but we didn't use that time to our advantage. Sadly, one small mistake ended up being the reason we lost the game. Congratulations to Northampton for taking advantage of their one opportunity.

Once more, we were making a final effort, which resembled the one we made in Gloucester last week, but we could not manage to score. Although we are close to success, it is disheartening for us, the athletes, and the fans.

Stay with us, we're a fresh team and we won't give up easily. We'll arrive at our next training session on Tuesday fully energized and ready to take on Harlequins with the same determination.

Phil Dowson, the director of rugby for Northampton, gave an interview to BBC Radio Northamptonshire.

When you are far from home and dealing with such situations, I believe you must persevere and show toughness, which is exactly what we have accomplished to a great extent.

We could have been more disciplined in the first half to make it easier for ourselves, but we did well to remain composed and focused and earned the positive outcome we deserved.

"We identified a few areas of concern from the scrum which we need to address to prevent our opponents from gaining an advantage. Additionally, we focused on making better decisions during the breakdown to increase our team's pressure on the opposition."

In the Newcastle lineup for their next match, you'll see Obatoyinbo, Radwan, Penny, Jennings, and Stephens playing up front. B Connon and Stuart will be taking on the midfield, while Brocklebank, Blamire, and Tampin will be holding it down in defense. Van Der Walt, de Chaves, Cross, G Pepper, and Chick will be playing on the flanks.

Substitutions: Byrne, Brantingham, McCallum, Hawkins, McDonald, O'Sullivan, Lockwood, Orlando.

Northampton announced their starting lineup for the next game featuring Furbank, Seabrook, Dingwall, Hutchinson, and Hendy as their forwards. The team also includes F Smith and James in the midfield. The backline consists of E Waller, Langdon, Davison, Munga, Coles, Scott-Young, Pearson, and Graham.

Substitutes: Cruse, A Waller, Millar-Mills, Lockett, Moon, McParland, Grayson, Litchfield.

Game official: Hamish Smales from the Rugby Football Union (RFU)