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NEWCASTLE RED BULLS 26 PERPIGNAN 19
Newcastle Red Bulls booked themselves safe passage to the EPCR Challenge Cup round of 16 after taking the full five points in Saturday’s home clash with Perpignan.
The Red Bulls led 14-12 at the interval but it was the Catalans who had drawn first blood on 11 minutes, when Fijian veteran Peceli Yato picked and went through the middle of a close-range ruck in the left corner.
Hugo Reus’ touchline conversion attempt was pulled wide, and his side were prevented from making further gains when a jackal penalty win from Murray McCallum halted their momentum 30 metres out.
Newcastle led for the first time on 18 minutes when they played advantage to good effect – Ethan Grayson’s cross-field kick plucked out of the air by Christian Wade, who beat the last man with some deft footwork before dotting down his maiden try for the club.
Grayson converted, and he did so again just four minutes later when Sammy Arnold hit a devastating inside line for his side’s second try – the centre simply unstoppable from 30 metres out as he cut against the grain to scythe through.
The home side were reduced to 14 men when Grayson was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on, and Perpignan made the extra man count when prop Bruce Devaux scored from a short-side play down the right.
Hugo Reus converted impressively from the touchline, cutting Newcastle’s half-time lead to 14-12.
Perpignan’s attempts to take the lead during the early stages of the second 40 were thwarted when they kicked a penalty to the corner, only for Tom Gordon to win a turnover at a ruck near the Red Bulls’ try-line.
Newcastle were more clinical when presented with a similar sniff of an opportunity, with Oli Spencer’s kick-chase earning back possession in a passage of play which ended with Elliott Obatoyinbo powering over for an unconverted try down the right.
The four-try bonus point almost arrived on 54 minuets when Obatoyinbo rose high to catch impressively on halfway before grubbering down the tramlines for the onrushing Spencer, who was a whisker away from catching the bobbling ball.
Perpignan were reduced to 14 men when Jordan Petaia was sin-binned for a no-wrap tackle on Spencer, and the Red Bulls took almost-instant advantage by kicking the penalty to the left corner for a textbook catch-and-drive try by skipper George McGuigan.
Grayson added the extras, and his side were at their defensive best around the hour mark when Perpignan kicked a penalty to the corner but lost their own line-out.
But there was no stopping the Catalans on 65 minutes when Maxim Granell’s converted try in the left corner created late tension around Kingston Park.
The home side had enough to hold on to their advantage, however, maintaining their unbeaten record in the tournament and securing their spot in the last 16 with a game to spare.
Newcastle Red Bulls: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Sammy Arnold (Nathan Greenwood, 70), 11 Oli Spencer (Cameron Hutchison, 57), 10 Ethan Grayson, 9 Simón Benítez Cruz; 1 Murray McCallum (Adam Brocklebank, 47), 2 George McGuigan (captain, Ollie Fletcher, 70), 3 Richard Palframan (Luan de Bruin, 56), 4 Tim Cardall (Finn Baker, 47), 5 Seb de Chaves (Cameron Neild, 62), 6 Oscar Usher, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Tom Gordon.
Scorers - Tries: Christian Wade, Sammy Arnold, Elliott Obatoyinbo, George McGuigan. Conversions: Ethan Grayson 3.
Perpignan: 15 Lucas Dubois, 14 Jordan Petaia, 13 Job Poulet, 12 Duncan Paia'aua, 11 Maxim Granell, 10 Hugo Reus; 9 Tom Ecochard, 1 Bruce Devaux (Lorencio Boyer-Gallardo, 47), 2 Victor Montgaillard, 3 Pietro Ceccarelli, 4 Peceli Yato (Posolo Tuilagi, 47), 5 Adrien Warion (Nemo Roelofse, 47), 6 Bastien Chinarro, 7 Mahamadou Diaby, 8 Lucas Velarte (captain, Mathieu Tanguy, 40).
Scorers - Tries: Peceli Yato, Bruce Devaux, Maxim Granell. Conversions: Hugo Reus 2.
Referee: Peter Martin (Ireland). Attendance: 6,274.
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