Harlequins thrash Newcastle Red Bulls 76-17

Newcastle Red Bulls 17-76 Harlequins, Kingston Park

Harlequins took maximum points from their Gallagher PREM trip to Kingston Park with a dominant 76-17 victory over Newcastle Red Bulls.

The London side raced into a 45-10 halftime lead and continued to punish the hosts after the break, scoring freely in a one-sided battle between the league’s bottom two teams.

Newcastle had brief moments of attacking quality through Adam Brocklebank and Josh Hodge, but Harlequins were sharper, faster and far more clinical throughout.

Quins Take Early Control

Harlequins struck inside three minutes when captain Alex Dombrandt forced his way over from a close-range tap penalty. Marcus Smith converted to give the visitors a fast start.

Newcastle’s task became harder when Ben Healy was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. Quins quickly made the extra man count as Jamie Benson crossed for their second try after simple hands moved the ball wide.

Bryn Bradley then added another after supporting a midfield break, before Newcastle hit back through Brocklebank, who scored from close range after repeated pick-and-go phases.

Harlequins Run Riot Before Halftime

Any Newcastle momentum disappeared almost immediately. Cadan Murley raced in down the left to secure the bonus point, before Sam Riley stepped through for another try on the half-hour mark.

Smith then scored after a loose ball was gathered and moved quickly to him, and prop Will Hobson added another before the interval.

Newcastle did finish the half with a response as Hodge collected a wide pass from Healy and scored in the left corner, but the hosts still trailed 45-10 at halftime.

Benson Completes Hat-Trick

Harlequins resumed control after the restart when Luke Northmore ran a strong diagonal line to score.

Newcastle tried to add energy from the bench, with Amanaki Mafi making an impact through carries and breakdown work, but Quins continued to dominate. Benson crossed twice more to complete his hat-trick and put the result far beyond doubt.

Bradley then grabbed his second try after Harlequins punished a loose Newcastle cross-field kick.

Hodge Scores Again But Quins Finish Strong

Newcastle showed some late resistance when Simón Benítez Cruz sent a long pass to Hodge, who crossed for his second try in the corner. Healy converted well from the touchline.

But Harlequins had the final response as replacement hooker Jimmy Staples marked his PREM debut with a converted try. The visitors also added enough points after the break to take the final score to 76-17.