Match Centre: Gallagher PREM: Newcastle Red Bulls 17-39 Leicester Tigers
Freddie Steward was one of the try scorer for Leicester
©Steve Haag
Newcastle Red Bulls 17-39 Leicester Tigers, Kingston Park
Newcastle Red Bulls’ wait for a first Gallagher PREM victory of the season continued as a sell-out Kingston Park crowd saw them battle hard but fall short against Leicester Tigers on Friday night.
The visitors led 17-10 at half-time after making an early impact in a physical opening spell.
Leicester opened the scoring seven minutes in when fly-half Billy Searle struck a long-range penalty. The lead grew as lock James Thompson powered over in the right corner for a converted try.
Tigers were reduced to 14 men before the 20-minute mark when Ollie Hassell-Collins was sin-binned for head-on-head contact with Ethan Grayson.
Newcastle took advantage of the extra man when Grayson finished a wide pass from Brett Connon, who added the conversion. But Leicester responded quickly as No.8 Joaquin Moro broke through from 20 metres for their second converted try.
Connon kept the Falcons in touch with a penalty after Alex Hearle forced a turnover, sending the match into the break at 17-10.
Second Half Momentum Shifts
Newcastle started the second half positively, with Connon and Max Clark probing the Leicester defence. Freddie Lockwood added further threat with strong running lines, but Tigers struck again when England full-back Freddie Steward spun out of a tackle for a converted try.
Searle extended Leicester’s lead with a penalty, and Moro later secured the bonus point with his second try making it 10-34 by the 73rd minute.
Newcastle finished with some reward as Richard Palframan powered over from close range, but it came too late to alter the outcome as the Falcons remain winless in the Premiership campaign. Tommy Reffell capped off a fantastic game for Leicester with their final try coming in the closing stage sealing a 22 point victory.
Newcastle: Grayson, Williams, Hearle, Clark, Spencer, Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, McGuigan (c), McCallum, Usher, Hodgson, Lockwood, Christie, Mafi
Reserves: Fletcher, Rewcastle, Palframan, de Chaves, Neild, Benítez Cruz, Chamberlain, Gordon
Leicester: Steward, Radwan, Wand, Bailey, Hassell-Collins, Searle, Whiteley; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Thompson, Liebenberg (c), Reffell, Moro
Reserves: Clare, van der Flier, Loman, Wells, Manz, Allan, O'Connor, Woodward
