Newcastle stuns northampton saints with spirited performance

Newcastle Falcons made a statement of intent in their Gallagher Premiership clash with Northampton Saints, pushing the league leaders all the way before ultimately falling just short.

Red bulls' revival continues under stephen jones

With relegation scrapped, Newcastle's ambitious owners Red Bull are investing heavily, and this spirited display suggests their project to rebuild the club is on the right track.

Trailing 7-0 early on, Newcastle roared back to take the lead before half-time, only for Northampton to regain control in the second period.

Despite being reduced to 13 men at one point, Newcastle refused to buckle, with Tom Christie's late try ensuring they took both losing bonus points.

This result will fuel speculation that Newcastle might be starting to build something under their new head coach Stephen Jones, formerly attack coach. Jones was a Wales fly-half of great repute and his presence could be a significant factor in the team's resurgence.

Northampton, meanwhile, will see this as a valuable five-point haul, even if they were not at full strength. They had been on a roll prior to this match and will hope to maintain momentum going forward.