Northampton 28-27 Newcastle
Bottom side secure losing and try bonus points
On the face of it, not a lot to see here. The league leaders return to the top of the table with a bonus-point win over the team placed bottom. But don’t you believe it. Newcastle may have shipped 60 the last time they played a Prem game here, but they pushed Northampton all the way.
Northampton, it must be said, were about as far from full strength as can be. George Furbank was given his latest run-out at full-back, but otherwise none of their myriad England internationals were present. They will consider this a smart collection of the full five points.
Meanwhile, the feeling that Newcastle might be starting to build something (or rebuild, given they have a title and a few cups to their history) continues to grow. Now that relegation has been officially scrapped, the sort of investment that Red Bull have brought becomes a vaguely sensible decision for a prospector in sport. This week, Stephen Jones, the great Wales fly-half, stepped up from attack coach to head coach. The round before last, Newcastle collected their first win of the season.
