Pau Defeats Newcastle in Challenge Cup Opening Match

Newcastle Falcons began their European Rugby Challenge Cup campaign with a loss to Pau, a competition from which they were eliminated at the pool stage in the previous two seasons. The final score was Pau (11) 32, with tries by Grandidier-Nkanang, Maximin, Delhommel, and Roudil, alongside three conversions and two penalties from Desperes. Newcastle Falcons (7) scored 19 points, courtesy of two tries from Fletcher and one from Lockwood, with conversions by Wilkinson and Connon. The Falcons were overcome by Pau in a closely contested match that served as their Challenge Cup opener. On three occasions, the Falcons established a lead with tries, only for their French opponents to consistently equalize. Hooker Alex Fletcher scored two tries and Freddie Lockwood added one, as the team aimed for a successful start to their European campaign. However, the Top 14 side crossed the try line through Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Jimi Maximin, and Youri Delhommel. As the clock approached the 80th minute and Newcastle was on the attack, Eliott Roudil broke away to score a bonus-point try for the hosts. Newcastle had traveled to south-west France with optimism, having secured five wins in their preceding six games, and consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond had expressed hopes for a strong performance in this competition. Heavy rain prior to kick-off resulted in challenging, wet conditions. Despite this, hooker Fletcher capitalized on a five-meter line-out maneuver to score the game’s first try, putting Newcastle ahead within 15 minutes. Nevertheless, the Falcons’ advantage lasted barely three minutes before wing Grandidier-Nkanang, one of only four players retained from Pau’s Top 14 victory over Lyon the previous weekend, touched down in the corner. The visiting team was compelled to defend resolutely for the remainder of the first half to stay in contention. Early in the second half, an identical play saw Fletcher secure his second score from another five-meter lineout. Newcastle then suffered a setback when winger Ben Stevenson received a yellow card, and playing with a numerical disadvantage, they were unable to prevent Maximin from scoring with a powerful drive. Despite this, Newcastle executed a fluid passing movement, exploiting space out wide, which resulted in flanker Lockwood scoring in the corner. Replacement fly-half Brett Connon successfully converted, giving Newcastle a 19-18 lead. Yet, a skillful offload from second-row Thomas Jolmes allowed replacement Delhommel to break clear and restore Pau’s lead. Roudil’s subsequent interception finalized the scoring and denied the English club a losing bonus point. Without the benefit of a bonus point from their away fixture, Newcastle will need to secure a victory at Kingston Park next Sunday against the Welsh team Dragons to maintain significant interest in the Challenge Cup. Newcastle Falcons consultant director of rugby Steve Diamond told BBC Radio Newcastle: “I’m a little bit disappointed but we were in the scrap right until the last seconds. “We were trying to score a try to win the game and they intercepted to take it away from us. Those things happen.”But it was a good performance from the lads in a lot of areas. We should have got a bonus point, we haven’t, so we move on.”We were in the fight right the way through. The scoreline makes it look a little one-sided, but anyone who was here knows it wasn’t.” The teams for the match were: Pau: Mondinat, Grandidier-Nkanang, Klemenczak, Roudil, Arfeuil, Desperes, Souverbie; Seneca, Jooste, Zabala-Arrieta, Jolmes, Maximin, Tlili, Hewat, Hamonou. Replacements: Delhommel, Bibi-Biziwu, Papidze, Auradou, Tagitagivalu, Daubagna, Decron, Luc. Newcastle: Redshaw; Radwan, Hearle, Hutchison, Stevenson; Wilkinson, Pepper; McCallum, Fletcher, Palframan, de Chaves, McDonald, Lockwood, Gordon, Chick. Replacements: Byrne, Rewcastle, Hancock, Baker, Leatherbarrow, O’Sullivan, Connon, Spencer. Ben Stevenson received a sin-bin at 52 minutes. The referee was Franco Rosella (Italy).