A 10,200 sell-out crowd cheered Newcastle home, and they were in full voice right from the off as fly half Jonny Wilkinson spurned a shot at the posts to go for the attacking line out.
The gamble paid off as the Falcons’ powerful driving game set up the rolling maul from which the first try came, Toby Flood taking the ball at first receiver to step his opposite man and canter over from short range.
Wilkinson negotiated the Kingston Park wind to add the extras, and five minutes later took his team in to double figures with a penalty from 35 metres out following a Brent Wilson turnover in his own 22.
The desire to wreak defensive havoc was plain for all to see as Jamie Noon, Ben Woods and Wilkinson racked up enormous tackle counts, Noon breaking the line to smash Carlos Spencer while a shuddering Matt Burke hit ended Robbie Kydd’s involvement.
Wilkinson’s impeccable kicking saw the England man drill a 45-metre penalty straight through the uprights, despite the fierce wind to keep the scoreboard rolling.
Newcastle’s line out combination of Thompson, Buist, Parling and Sorenson functioned to the full despite the breeze making set piece matters far from a walk in the park, while the driving maul got the hosts on the front foot all day as Lee Dickson steered the ship.
The relieving boot of Wilkinson thwarted the persistent forays of the Saints, holding on 13-0 at the interval, but in a frustrating second half the attacking edge dropped a vital level as all six points came from the boot.
Parling went close to scoring in the left corner while the bullocking Woods burst holes in the Saints defence, Flood firing wide with a long range drop goal as slow ruck ball was all that was forthcoming.
With the hosts defending for so long there was an air of inevitability about the Northampton try, as French No.8 Christian Labit wriggled over amid a heap of bodies to score, Spencer’s conversion getting the nerves going as the deficit was reduced to only six points.
With the stakes so high Northampton battled for their lives, Phil Dowson being introduced with 20 minutes to play to a rousing cheer as he made his first appearance for five months.
A third Wilkinson penalty just after the hour mark put the Falcons to two scores ahead to marginally relieve the tension, but heroic defence was the order of the day as a desperate Northampton side positioned themselves in the home 22 for sustained periods.
Their cause was dealt a dagger blow when a penalty on half way was kicked dead by Spencer attempting the banana kick, while a big scrum from replacement prop Jon Golding was enough to force the crucial last-minute turnover which preceded a relieving final whistle.
Guinness Premiership safety now assured, matters will be firmly focused on ascending the table in the two remaining home games of the season, starting with the visit of Gloucester this Friday.
Newcastle Falcons:
Tries: Flood
Cons: Wilkinson
Pens: Wilkinson 3
Northampton Saints:
Tries: Labit
Cons: Spencer
Newcastle Falcons:
15 Matthew Burke (captain)
14 Tom May
13 Mathew Tait (John Rudd, 38)
12 Jamie Noon
11 Toby Flood
10 Jonny Wilkinson
9 Lee Dickson (James Grindal, 65)
1 Joe McDonnell (Micky Ward, 77)
2 Matt Thompson (Andy Long, 65)
3 Micky Ward (Jon Golding, 58)
4 Mark Sorenson
5 Andy Buist
6 Geoff Parling
7 Ben Woods
8 Brent Wilson (Phil Dowson, 58)
Northampton Saints:
15 Paul Diggin
14 Sean Lamont
13 Bruce Reihana (captain)
12 Robbie Kydd (Stephen Myler, 16, Vaughan Going, 58)
11 Ben Cohen
10 Carlos Spencer
9 Mark Robinson
1 Tom Smith (Chris Budgen, 77)
2 Dylan Hartley (Matias Cortese, 65)
3 Chris Budgen (John Brooks, 50)
4 David Gerard (Damien Browne, 65)
5 Christian Short
6 Paul Tupai
7 Darren Fox (Mark Hopley, 73)
8 Christian Labit
Referee: Chris White
Attendance: 10,200
