Former Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby coach Peter Russell has had his second close call in two games as he nears the business end of a first season in England which has so far produced 26 wins from as many games with Newcastle Falcons.
Having had a week off, the Falcons
beat Nottingham 14-12 in a Friday night away game.
It came after fortnight after beating Bradford 17-15 in a match made famous by a You Tube clip of a sensational try to Samoan international and former Blues player Jamie Helleur, latching onto the ball as it bounced in-field after hitting both posts and the crossbar in a penalty attempt by former Hurricanes player Jimmy Gopperth.
Already easily into the playoffs in the Championship and seeking promotion to the Aviva Premiership, the Falcons this week have a home game against Jersey, before playing Nottingham again, at home in the first playoff in the British and Irish Cup.
The Falcons have 88pts from 19 games in the championship, with Nottingham in second place on 63pts with three matches remaining before the playoffs.
