Callum Chick try seals thrilling win for Newcastle over Montpellier

Is it written in the stars for Newcastle Falcons? How else to explain a grandstand finish as remarkable as this, finally ended by Callum Chick’s matchwinning try after a staggering 39 phases, deep into the 89th minute. Newcastle have now claimed two major French scalps – the three-times winners Toulon and now Montpellier, dark horses to lift the trophy, in consecutive weeks. The final is down the road at St James’ Park in May. They couldn’t, could they?

It remains unlikely but then so was victory here with a minute left on the clock and, to make Chick’s score all the more impressive, Newcastle were down to 14 men with Logovi’i Mulipola in the sin-bin. A match that at half‑time appeared theirs for the taking had all but slipped through their fingers.

Montpellier had put the squeeze on through their beastly forwards and 11 second-half penalties laid the platform for a 20-16 lead. Then a late penalty for Newcastle, kicked to the corner, and, inch by inch, the Falcons eventually forced their way over. It was not particularly pretty nor inventive, but boy, it was epic.

Munster went down in European folklore after Ronan O’Gara’s last‑gasp drop-goal against Northampton in 2011, Johnny Sexton was lauded for something similar in this year’s Six Nations against France – indeed both came after 41 phases. To go through almost as many when needing a try to win the match and have the determination to keep going until it is scored is arguably even more gutsy.

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It leaves Dean Richards’s side in the bizarre position of sitting top of their European pool and bottom in the Premiership. For they have seen some near misses in the league so far this season but this will more than make up for it.

“To be honest, prior to [the try] we couldn’t keep it for more than two phases so the mere fact we kept it for 40 is pleasing,” Richards said. “If you keep it for that length of time invariably you will get an opportunity somewhere down the line.

“We’re still the minnows, the little boys with absolutely nothing to lose. It has been a shot in the arm, a confidence boost and a reminder to the boys of how good we can be.”

From the first whistle, Newcastle picked up from where they left off in Toulon last weekend, making a fearsome start and finding themselves 10-0 to the good within seven minutes. A Hodgson penalty got them on the board before a bust up the middle from the second-row Calum Green led to an opening try for the imperious Gary Graham on the left, via a lovely basketball-style pass from the inside-centre Johnny Williams.

Eddie Jones was in attendance on a rare trip to the north-east – neither Williams, who has made a fine start to life at Newcastle, nor Graham were in his autumn internationals squad named last week but both started in a manner as if to ask why. Hodgson converted before two penalties from Pienaar brought Montpellier back into the game, largely on account of their scrum dominance.

A heavy downpour made handling difficult and stymied the fast start somewhat but Newcastle looked well placed to add a second try after Alex Tait’s break, only for Mark Wilson – the only Falcon in Jones’s squad – to knock-on. Two penalties for Hodgson did reassert Newcastle’s 10-point lead though, and they were full value for it.

Montpellier ramped things up again as the half drew to a close, going through 28 phases to bludgeon up to the Newcastle line, but resolute defending forced a knock-on from the visiting openside flanker Wiaan Liebenberg. In a demonstration of their intent, Newcastle opted against kicking the ball out when the clock had turned red, instead their bullocking No 8 Ryan Burrows bulldozing the Montpellier winger Gabriel N’Gandebe – it led to little but ensured the Falcons faithful were cheered at the interval.

After the restart, however, Montpellier were able to get a stranglehold on the match, Pienaar missed one effort at goal but by the 75th minute, the second-half penalty count was 10-0 in the visitors’ favour. It enabled Montpellier to force the second-row Paul Willemse over from close range after a lineout drive and when Pienaar landed his fifth penalty with seven minutes to, the visitors led by four. Mulipola was off by that stage for a high tackle but one last penalty for Newcastle allowed Hodgson to kick towards the corner and what was beginning to look like a largely forgettable defeat for the Falcons was transformed into a victory that will linger long in the memory.