STEVE Borthwick paid tribute to his players after they ultimately outclassed Newcastle at Kingston Park.
The Falcons, playing in Dean Richards’ final home game as director of rugby after a 10-year reign, battled bravely for the best part of an hour.
Borthwick beamed: “It was a tough game and Newcastle played very well. We knew we were going to have to play for 80 minutes to get the win we wanted.
“When Newcastle put us under pressure, we came back even stronger in the final 30 minutes.”
Dave Walder will take over from Richards at the end of the season and could not fault his pla...