For a man who had just watched his side surrender a 12-3 half-time lead and end the game hanging on for the draw, Toby Booth was in a surprisingly cheerful mood on Saturday evening. But as the London Irish head coach pointed out, after five defeats in their previous six matches in all competitions, you take your consolations when you can.
"Hopefully that's the U-turn made and we're heading back up the profile," said Booth. "It was pretty lonely last week as you can imagine. The fact of having my bicep reattached, turning 40 and being beaten 30 points [by Bath] really capped a good weekend for me.
"OK, we let go the lead, but sometimes you have to give the opposition credit. The conditions were quite tough, the pitch isn't great, and playing up the slope in the second half made a difference. It made it hard to get out of the final third, but obviously from where we've been over the past few weeks, we'll take two points rather than one. It pushes us back still fighting in the top four."
His opposite number Steve Bates was equally sanguine after Newcastle's third draw of the season in front of their own supporters, all of which they should probably have won. The Falcons' front row made mincemeat of their opponents in the scrum, but, led from the front by Steffon Armitage after his release from England duties, the Exiles forwards achieved more than parity in the loose, creating close-range first-half tries for the Samoan George Stowers and for Armitage. Superb defence in the second half, interspersed with some canny spoiling, ensured the Falcons had to rely on the boot of stand-off Jimmy Gopperth to peg the visitors back.
"With the territory and possession we had in the second half we should have sneaked it," said Bates. "We have to think about how we do nail these games – another eight points would move us a long way up the table."
Digging up and relaying the appalling Kingston Park pitch would be a start. Gopperth also needs to improve, since his distribution and kicking out of hand, and off the floor in the first half, was poor. Bates stoutly defended the New Zealander, however, pointing out that the conditions were hardly conducive to flowing rugby.
He was altogether happier talking about Jon Golding, whose outstanding form has not suffered during his month's absence with a broken rib. Had he not been injured the 27-year-old loose head, whose game has improved immeasurably under the tutelage of the All Black Carl Hayman, would surely be a member of the England squad, but Bates is aware that Golding will be pressing Tim Payne for his place in the front row before long.
"Unfortunately for Jon he was injured at the crucial time when they were saying 'what are we going to do with the front row?', but he's not an old guy," said Bates. "He's got plenty of time and this experience he's getting now will stand him in very good stead for the future."
Newcastle Tait; Williams, Bobo, Tu'ipulotu, Amesbury (Vickerman, 24); Gopperth, Young; Golding, Vickers, Hayman, Hudson, Swinson, Wilson, Welch (Sorensen, 70), Browne (Afu, 55).
Pens Gopperth 4.
London Irish Homer; Ojo, Seveali'i, Mapusua, Hewat; Malone (Lamb 55), Hodgson; Dermody, Paice (Buckland 62), Ion (Rautenbach 46), Roche, Casey (Perry 70), Thorpe (Gibson 55), Armitage, Stowers.
Tries Stowers, Armitage. Con Homer.
Referee R Debney (Leicestershire). Attendance 5,168.
