Northampton rounded off a memorable 2024 with a dominant 61-0 victory over Newcastle in the Premiership. This stunning performance was a perfect way to end the year, as the defending champions showcased the type of form they need to sustain in the second half of the season.
After a challenging start to the campaign, with five losses in their first eight games, Northampton found themselves eighth in the table and in need of a turnaround to retain their title. However, the game against Newcastle provided the ideal opportunity for a statement performance. The Saints secured the bonus point within 15 minutes and went on to score nine tries in total, demonstrating their attacking prowess.
Director of Rugby Phil Dowson acknowledged the potential within his squad but called for greater consistency. “We’ve had periods of this sort of quality throughout the season,” he said. “We’re a very capable group, we just haven’t been able to do it more.” Dowson pointed to games like their first half against Sale and the second half against Harlequins as examples of their quality, but he also noted that inconsistency had plagued their season so far. He stressed the need for his team to stop being reactive and to set their stall out from the start, avoiding the Jekyll and Hyde nature that had hindered them in some matches.
On the pitch, Northampton were ruthless. They ran in tries from Alex Coles, two from Trevor Davison, and Alex Mitchell, with further scores from Josh Kemeny and Tommy Freeman. By halftime, the Saints were 40-0 up. In the second half, Tom Pearson added two more tries to bring up the half-century, and a breakaway score from Rory Hutchinson rounded off the comprehensive win. Fin Smith and Hutchinson added the extras to complete the rout.
For Newcastle, the defeat was a tough one to swallow. Director of Rugby Steve Diamond admitted his side were beaten in every area. “You can forget the long travel it did take us nine hours to get here, which is ridiculous,” he said. Despite a few players being unavailable, Diamond acknowledged that the difference between his team and their opponents was clear. “We need some better quality players and a larger squad to compete in the Premiership,” he added. Newcastle’s struggles were evident as they failed to match Northampton’s intensity, and Diamond’s comments highlighted the disparity between the two teams in terms of depth and resources.
The result was a stark contrast to Newcastle’s previous performance, where they had been highly competitive against Bath despite losing without earning a losing bonus point. Diamond pointed out that the squad’s inability to cope with the physical demands of the Premiership, especially against bigger teams like Northampton and Bath, was a key issue.
As for Northampton, the victory was a clear indication of their potential, but Dowson knows the team must build on this form in the upcoming matches to ensure they can challenge for the title in the second half of the season.
