RFU Championship Rugby 2013: Newcastle vs. Bedford Score, Recap and Analysis

The Newcastle Falcons came into the second leg of their Championship final versus the Bedford Blues on the precipice of returning to the Premiership.

Newcastle's dominating 18-9 victory in the first leg, a performance spurred by fly-half Jimmy Gopperth, put them in commanding position heading into the match. Bedford would have to win by nine points to knot up the aggregate, a feat which seemed insurmountable heading into Wednesday evening at Kingston Park.

And it was. But not for the Blues' lack of trying.  

Behind a scintillating performance again from Gopperth and a late-match ascent from the defense, Newcastle defeated Bedford, 31-24, to give them a 49-33 win in the aggregate score. 

Newcastle's Twitter feed had just two words when announcing the result:

The RFU Championship sent out its congratulations to the ascending club as well:

For much of the match's first 40 minutes, though, it looked as if Newcastle were determined to fail on that mission.

Following a Gopperth score putting Newcastle ahead 3-0 early, the Blues started creating some real headway after critical mistakes from the Falcons. Jake Sharp knotted up the score on a 40-meter penalty attempt, and then followed it up to put the Blues ahead 6-3 following a no-brainer offsides call in the 16th minute.

The two sides seemingly then tagged off lineouts, setting up one of the gutsier calls of the match. Sharp lined up from far out after a successful driving maul from the Blues, going for a score that would be usually well out of range. But as was the case for much of the match, Sharp nailed it and sent a shock wave through Kingston Park.

It was quite the turn for Sharp, whose form has been in question for much of the season. He had been languishing as the club's third-best kicker on most nights, but it became clear he showed up to play with Bedford's back against the wall.

Now with an aggregate of 21-18 staring them in the face, Newcastle knew they needed to strike. Though this seemed like a high-scoring affair was in order from the beginning, the Falcons learned just how quickly the tide could turn in the first leg.

The Falcons wasted little time returning Sharp's favor. Gopperth nailed a score after a fantastic Newcastle scrum, putting the Falcons back ahead 24-18 in the aggregate and 9-6 in Wednesday's match. 

The remainder of the first half went much in the same fashion. Bedford continually put pressure on the favored Newcastle bunch, Sharp coming through with one of his best matches in recent memory, only for the Falcons to answer just when they needed. A Gopperth pen at the end of the first half brought Newcastle within one point at 18-17 heading into the break, a critical score for the obviously shaken bunch.

Overall, the first half was one filled with entertainment. There were highlight scores, fiercely fought scrums and the occasional baffling play—most of the latter being by Newcastle. Gopperth's score in the waning moments of the first half gave the Falcons a much-needed boost of confidence and left them with one purpose in the final 40 minutes: Just hold on.

Despite multiple scares, that's exactly what the Falcons did.

Sharp started the second half much the way he did the first, knocking through a penalty to give Bedford a 21-17 lead, just five points behind in the aggregate. 

Again, though, the momentum halted before it could begin. Alex Tait went over the try and Gopperth followed him up by hitting the post conversion, evaporating the Bedford lead and putting the Falcons ahead 22-21.

Newcastle's defense followed that sequence by playing lockdown defense, something unseen for almost the entire match to that point. Stalwart tackling efforts and key stops on lineouts became key down the stretch for the Falcons, as both sides began looking a little tired.

By the time Gopperth slotted a penalty to put Newcastle ahead 25-21 in this match and by 13 points in the aggregate, it became clear the hole dug in the first match would prove too deep. 

Gopperth and Sharp traded scores again, but the remainder of the match proved more notable for its scrums. The two sides showed constant effort, proving they were the two teams most deserving to be in this match. Even in defeat, Bedford have nothing to be ashamed about. 

Plus, as the Blues' Twitter feed points out, the offseason doesn't exactly provide the lengthiest of vacations:

By taking the Championship, the Falcons will return to the Premiership for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Club director Dean Richards has done a marvelous job rebuilding from the ugly financial situation that marred the once-proud outfit, and now the Falcons will have ample opportunity to continue their ascent next season.

But for now, the folks at Kingston Park can take glee in their club proving they deserve to be in the conversation going forward.