Steve Bates believes Newcastle can still achieve mid-table respectability following the Falcons' 35-3 victory over Bristol.
Bates buoyed by big Premiership win at the Memorial Stadium
Steve Bates believes Newcastle can still achieve mid-table respectability this season following the Falcons' 35-3 victory over Bristol.
Geoff Parling, Ed Williamson, Brent Wilson and Andy Perry scored the tries that lifted Bates' side to ninth in the Guinness Premiership table on Friday night.
The bonus point triumph was their first win at the Memorial Stadium since December 1997 and takes the Falcons above Worcester and London Wasps in the standings.
Buoyed by the club's fourth Premiership win of the season, rugby director Bates is now looking up.
Positivity
"I think we need to think positively and say why don't we look at getting in to mid-table because there is still a huge number of points to play for," said Bates.
"There is another nine games to go and we should say that we are capable of being right up there and perhaps aim for seventh place.
"I thought that the guys played really well and deserved the victory. They had worked really hard all week and we could see that on the field tonight which was pleasing.
"Defensively we were pretty strong and I thought that when we came in at half-time that we could have been further ahead than we were.
"We started well which was important because we knew that they would be hungry because it was a massive game for them and we had to make sure that we didn't give them anything to fuel that enthusiasm."
Fight
Defeat leaves Bristol nine points adrift at the foot of the table, meanwhile, with nine games remaining but head coach Richard Hill refuses to accept his side is destined for Division One rugby next season.
"There were not many points to take from this game but it is not the end of the world," said Hill. "It is not curtains for our season but we will now have to focus on beating Worcester as Newcastle are probably out of reach. It is not over but we will have to change our focus.
"I can't explain a 35-point hammering. We shouldn't lose by that much on our ground. It was a big game and there is no hiding from that but at the moment I don't know why we put in that performance.
"I know Newcastle played exceptionally well but canvassing our players after the game as to what happened and why it did happen, nobody could put their finger on it.
"I don't think that there was anything more that we could have done to prepare for the game. I have seen us play worse than that and lose by less points than this.
"I thought that in the second half Newcastle played some of the best rugby that I have seen played here. They looked as good, if not better, than any of the top sides that have been here.
"The defeat is going to hurt but we have to pick ourselves up and target Worcester as well as picking up as many points as we can. But it will be tough as we are all wondering why this happened tonight."
