Newcastle director of rugby Steve Bates has praised the Falcons¿ fans after their side came from behind to beat Saracens on Friday.
Newcastle win three in a row for the first time in three seasons
Newcastle director of rugby Steve Bates has praised the Falcons' fans after their side came from behind to beat Saracens 13-9 on Friday night.
In front of a 6,204-strong crowd, Newcastle turned the match around after a dire first-half display - John Rudd's 51st-minute try and Tom May's conversion putting the hosts in front.
Their defence then did the rest as the Falcons secured their third straight Guinness Premiership victory.
The run started with a 10-9 win against high-flying Gloucester last month and continued with last weekend's 35-3 demolition of bottom club Bristol.
Newcastle have therefore won three straight league games for the first time since season 2005/06.
With Sale thrashing of Bristol on Friday, Bates hinted his belief that the results meant his side were all but safe from the threat of relegation.
Reflecting on how Newcastle began the game, he said: "I didn't think we were doing ourselves justice with that performance and also that we needed to respect this crowd a little bit more than we were.
"We said all week that the great support we got in Bristol was really influential and I know there were a lot of people thinking of us.
"They deserved us to put in a massive performance and I thought the first half just wasn't that."
He added: "I thought the first half was pretty dire and I'm pleased we had the character to turn it round in the second half.
"We played the conditions on the pitch much better. We were much more disciplined in terms of the referee and in terms of the way we played and I thought on our second-half performance, we deserved to win it."
Jones "can't work it out"
Saracens director of rugby Eddie Jones, who recently announced he is to leave the club at the end of the season, was left bemused by his own side's performance.
New Zealand-born fly-half Glen Jackson kicked three penalties to give the visitors a 9-3 half-time lead but they fell away badly after the break.
"We've got to start putting some wins together haven't we? We've still got plenty of games to go and that's a good thing," the former Australia coach said.
"It was very disappointing. I just can't work it out. The first 40 was pretty good. The second half we gave away two penalties at tackles that allowed them to get some momentum.
"They held the ball, they're in front and that's the end of the game."