Saints v Newcastle Rnd8(2000)

Round 8
Friday 24 March
Saints v
Newcastle Knights
Venue:
Marathon Stadium
Saints on TV 2000

Match
Report / Results

TV / Video Capture

Scrapbook

Referee Rating

PREVIEW: Saints meet head on against Newcastle on Friday night in what will be a real battle in the forwards. To win, we definitely need another top effort from Craig Smith & Co. As well, you can expect plenty of action as the half combinations of Barrett/Mundine take on the Johns Bros.
Saints won well last week but will have to improve a lot if they are to overcome a very strong Newcastle team in Newcastle! Most punters and tipsters are predicting a Newcastle win which is not surprising considering the team form guides thus far.
This week's return of Chris Leikvoll is a boost for Saints who have named close to a top strength team but Newcastle are also near full strength with only Darren Albert withdrawing on Thursday. It should be a great game!
Saints will need to dig deep - every game is a test match now and with every match we are going to find out just how tough these guys really are. Saints by 7.

Betting(Q): Saints $3.50, Knights $1.25. Saints have 9½ start on Qld footy tab.
Late News: Mathew Gidley withdraws
Late mail: Adam MacDougall will probably withdraw

NB: Matt Cooper pulled out during warm up and was replaced by Mark Gasnier from 1st Division

FULLTIME SCORE: Saints 25 - Newcastle 18
Match Conditions:
Night match. 19°C Moderate to strong breeze favoured Newcastle in the first half
Attendance: 12,874
POST MATCH SUMMARY:
SAINTS OUTCLASS NEWCASTLE 25 -18 This match had it all. Saints were behind, then they came back. Newcastle raised the stakes and Saints went to a higher level. Newcastle plowed forward and Saints won the fight. After regaining the momentum, Barto kicked a conversion from the sideline across the wind and bloody hell, that was great! Newcastle replied to a Saints field goal by scoring a try and then the Dragons found extra spirit and won the match in the dying moments.
We are celebrating here as it is pretty obvious that the Mighty Dragons are back! But it is also pretty obvious that we cannot rest on this pretty laurel of tonight.
Mark Coyne, in his capacity as a sports reporter, predicted a Saints win against a gang of brain dead conservatives and fair weather friends. Goodonyacoyney!
The most amazing thing about this match is that I picked the bloody margin! Not bad after 500 attempts. MATCH REPORT This was always going to be a tough match for the Dragons. Newcastle are 2nd on the ladder and Saints are a miserable 12th. Just about everybody was picking a Newcastle win at home and there was no doubt that this was going to a real test for the Dragons.
The match started with some confusion as Matt Cooper was injured in the warm up and Saints had to run on with 12 men, that being the rule. Replacement Hooper raced on from the sideline after the kickoff and Reg's nephew, 19 year old Mark Gasnier was in the sheds re-lacing his boots after playing a full match in first division. Apparently, the young Puff was literally shaking in his boots at the prospect of being called up to his first grade debut at such late notice.
The match was only one minute old and Bailey gave away a stupid penalty, taking out Andrew Johns who was kicking too deep. Johns kicked the goal and Saints were down 2-0.
There were some worrying signs as Saints let in soft try at the 14th minute mark and the score was 8-0.
But Saints showed good fight and good go forward. Jamie Ainscough, playing against his old club, chased a Nathan Brown grubber to scored his 82nd career try. Blacklock kicks a difficult conversion and Saints are just 2 points down. 22nd minute: score 8-6.
What followed was a series of near misses for Newcastle and it became obvious that Saints needed to go up notch or Newcastle would run through them.
After running into the wind for half an hour, Saints lose valuable yardage through simple errors and Newcastle are unlucky not to score. However, the turning point of the first half happened in the 34th minute when Newcastle's Peter Shiels started a dust up with Lance Thompson. Saints got the penalty and Shiels lost the fight being sent to the blood bin.
For the next six minutes Saints come close to scoring twice and defend their line with determination takingthe wind out Newcastle's sails. Saints appear have the upper hand and will have a good breeze at their backs on the 2nd half. GREAT FIRST HALF: SAINTS 6 - NEWCASTLE 8 In the opening minute of the 2nd half, Craig Smith is injured and although he comes back, he looks pretty crook as he is helped off. Any suggestion that this will lead to a lack of go forward is quickly dispelled as Lance Thompson takes the reins and belts up the middle. It's only a little thing but little things count as Newcastle's forwards now realise that they are on the back foot.
A minute later Saints bomb a try as Barrett kicks too deep. Newcastle are in sorts of trouble.
44th minute and Saints score. Mighty Chris Leikvoll punches through near the Newcastle line and whilst being tackled, rolls the ball back, Rugby style. Patten picks up the dregs and scores. Lance Thompson converts. Score: Saints 12 - Newcastle 8.
A couple of minutes later Mundine makes a break but loses the ball forward with plenty of support. Fair dinkum.. this happens too much!
Matt Parsons, Newcastle's best player on the night leads a major push for the home team. Saints eventually concede a try off an Andrew Johns kick. Not enough urgency here in defence and Saints need to yet again go up another level. The Johns conversion attempt hits the upright.
Score: 12-all.
In the 64th minute Barrett kicks a field goal to put the Dragons 1 point ahead but it's obvious that this is not enough as Newcastle score 5 minutes later. Johns converts from out wide and the match has now gone up to another level. Score Saints: 13 - Newcastle 18
With just 7 minutes to go, Lanky Mark Gasnier stretches out and scores a fairy tale try after Saints destroy Newcastle with some great forward raids. Bartrim kicks the conversion from the sideline, on his bad side and across the wind. This is a killer kick.
Score: Saints 19 - Newcastle 18
In the dying minutes of the match Trent Barrett, under huge pressure, puts in an attacking kick which sends Newcastle back to to Hunter Street and Saints are finishing the stronger. Ainscough scores his 83rd career try, Barto converts. FULL TIME SCORE: 25 -18
This was a good game of footy. Sure, it was great to see Saints win such a game but it was a top match which kept us on the edge of our seats for a good hour. The game alternated a few times but in the end the Dragons were more keen to win than Newcastle.
Luke Bailey was TVs Man of the match and good on him. For my money, Jamie Ainscough was outstanding and Trent Barrett was everywhere. Mark Gasnier looked comfortable in first grade. He let in a try but showed plenty of G & D and took the opportunity with two firm hands.
There were top efforts from all the forwards and once again Lance Thompson and Darren Treacy were never far from the action.
Next week we take on Canberra. Another tough encounter. FULL TIME: SAINTS 25 - NEWCASTLE 18
Saints Best
3-Ainscough, 2-Barrett, 1- Thompson

Stats:
Saints 25
(Ainscough 2, Patten, Gasnier tries. Bartrim 2, Blacklock, Thompson goals. Barrett field goal)
Newcastle 18
(Shiels, Tahu, Beckett tries. Johns 3 goals)

Mark Gasnier called up





Brown grubbers through...	...and Ainscough scores Saints' first try
Craig Smith and ...	...Darren Treacy, always a handfull

Mark Gasnier shuts down a Newcastle raid with a top covering tackle

HALF TIME

Back out for the 2nd

Barrett finds open ground

Blacklock comes close.....

Luke Patten scores

Waiting for confirmation

Timmins kept running all night

Jamis Ainscough almost intercepts

Trent Barrett puts Saints 1 point ahead with about 15 minutes to go. Newcastle score a try about 5 minutes later.

Mark Gasnier's try - terrific to watch!

Mark Gasnier can hardly believe it but Saints are still behind by one point

Bartrim kicks then looks on as the ball starts to head across the face of goal...

Barto judged it perfectly, the breeze pushes it through and Saints are up by one

Mundine cuts loose late in the match

Ainscough gets through...

...and scores a late try

The lads celebrate victory

Luke Bailey
Bailey, TVs Man of the Match

Click on the speaker to hear TVs Man of the Match speak

308 Kb .wav file

From The Gold Coast Bulletin March 25, 2000:

Saturday, March 25, 2000 Sydney Morning Herald:

Another magic Dragon takes the puff out of the Knights

By STEVE MASCORD at Marathon Stadium

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 25
NEWCASTLE 18

                 St George Illawarra were saved by someone named Gasnier
                 last night, a bloke who just happened to be standing in the
                 dressing-room before the game against Newcastle when a
                 member of the starting side hurt his back warming up.

                 Call it hokey, call it corny, call it cliched. But last night at
                 Marathon Stadium, when the Dragons beat the Knights, it
                actually happened. Really.

                 Fact one: the Dragons, now called St George Illawarra, have
                 been struggling so much that some of the giants of the past
                 - although not great centre Reg Gasnier - have claimed to
                 be "turned off" by the club's latest incarnation.

                 Fact two: Last night at Marathon Stadium, where they were
                 expected to be flogged, centre Matt Cooper injured himself
                 warming up.

                 Fact three: Co-coach Andrew Farrar admitted that
                 18-year-old Mark Gasnier, nephew of Reg and who had just
                 showered after playing an entire first-division match, was
                 sent out not only because he was good but also because he
                 was standing nearby.

                 Fact four: Gasnier let in a try which could have cost his side
                 the game - and then scored one which sealed a remarkable
                 victory.

                 Sometimes ordinary sporting stories are made to sound
                 extraordinary. It's much harder making incredible ones
                 sound believable.

                 "The rules state you have to get both club doctors to rule
                 him [Cooper] out," Farrar explained. "There was a fair bit of
                 stress flying before the kick-off.

                 "We didn't have a spare player. As the teams ran out on the
                 field, the doctors were in consultation then. We had to start
                 with 12 men from the kick-off and then run someone on.

                 "I looked around the room and Mark Gasnier was there.
                 We'd talked about Mark Gasnier the last couple of weeks ...
                 he was one of the blokes who was in our thoughts. I just
                 grabbed him and asked him to put his boots on."

                 Co-captain Craig Smith said: "We were just told to take the
                 paddock. I wasn't too sure who was coming on but we were
                 assured there'd be 13."

                 Australian Schoolboys star Gasnier said he speaks to Reg
                 "about once a month" and that "Puff The Magic Dragon"
                 hadn't seen him play yet.

                 Asked about the 69th-minute Lenny Beckett try which put
                 the Knights in front, he said: "I suppose it was the lowest
                 feeling you could feel. That's why I knew I didn't want to let
                 the team down, especially on my debut. I was so nervous
                 but I wanted to make up for it."

                 Thanks largely to the kid with a famous name, the Dragons
                 think they've taken a gigantic step towards erasing the
                 damage done at the MCG three weeks ago when Melbourne
                 beat them by 60 points.

                 "The more games you win, the more you can put it behind
                 you," said Farrar. "I think I'll always remember it, being
                 involved in a 70-point game.

"We're getting there."

                 The try Gasnier let in, to his opposite Beckett, came after a
                 field goal by halfback Trent Barrett had edged the visitors
                 ahead 13-12.

                 "The thing about our side is that we've been reacting to
                 crisis situations over the past couple of weeks," Smith said.
                 "It was a test for us to see if we were going to react to
                 another tight situation."

                 The try Gasnier scored, with six minutes left, saw him
                 tackled three metres out and determinedly keep the ball off
                 the turf long enough to plant it on the stripe.

                 Hooker Wayne Bartrim converted from the sideline for
                 19-18, then centre Jamie Ainscough scored his second try in
                 the dying moments, converted by Bartrim.

                 The Knights were concerned about ankle-ligament damage
                 to five-eighth Matthew Johns and a possible knock-on in the
                 lead-up to St George Illawarra fullback Luke Patten's
                 45th-minute try.

                 "If [referees coach] Peter Louis calls me this week and says
                 it was a knock-on, I'll feel much better," Knights coach
                 Warren Ryan said sardonically.

                 All in all it was a great story, although when a posse of
                 reporters entered the Dragons room looking for "Mark", two
                 officials responded: "Mark who?"

REFEREE: Sean Hampstead

Total Referee or Touch Judge errors = 4
Errors in favour of Saints = 3
Errors in favour of Newcastle = 1
Penalty Count: Saints 5 - Newcastle 4
Comments: I understand that Sean Hampstead had shocker last week and needed to put in a good performance here today to keep his job. He put in a reasonable showing but upset a lot of Newcastle supporters with some puzzling decisions. Notable misses included (8th min) Barrett getting off the ground and while never getting near the marker position, he made the next tackle. I was surprised that he was not picked for being offside. In the 10th minute, Timmins took out an attacking player close to the line and was lucky not to be penalised and sin binned. There were also a number smaller incidents and the ref succumbed to a crowd call for forward pass against the Dragons late in the match. Most worrying was the amount of niggle and high shots that were going on from both sides. The ref seemed to miss it every time.
Nevertleless, Hampstead probably did enough things right to keep his job for another week.
Overall rating: 6/10

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