Improved Newcastle Falcons please Dean Richards

Director of rugby Dean Richards credited a far improved display in Newcastle Falcons' Championship play-off semi-final second-leg victory against Leeds Carnegie.

Falcons were outmuscled in the away first leg but overturned a five-point deficit to win 34-30 overall.

"It was never going to happen again, physically they did extremely well," Richards told BBC Look North.

"We kept the pressure on Leeds and force them into making mistakes.

"It's a happy camp at the moment, not forgetting we've got Bedford to come."

Bedford were the winners of the other semi-final, beating Nottingham, to tee up a two-legged final which the Falcons must come through to return to the Premiership at the first attempt.

"It doesn't matter, they offer slightly different things but are both equally good sides, so we'll go down there and try to get the result we want," added Richards.

"It could have been Bedford or Nottingham, they'll challenge us in different ways."