A Rob Vickers try two minutes from time helped Newcastle snatched a 26-19 victory over Harlequins at Kingston Park to give them their second Aviva Premiership win of the season and move the Falcons up to 11th in the league standings.
Harlequins sealed a home quarter-final in the European Challenge Cup after withstanding a battling second-half comeback from Cardiff to seal a 34-26 victory over the Blues.
Harlequins inflicted the first defeat of the season for Saracens in a stormy showdown at Twickenham Stoop that also left the Aviva Premiership champions with concerns over lock George Kruis.
Harlequins narrowly survived a furious second-half rally from Worcester to clinch a 24-20 victory at a rain-sodden Sixways and move up to third in the Aviva Premiership table.
Matt Kvesic hopes the performances and influence of teams with genuine opensides at the World Cup will have underlined his value to new England head coach Eddie Jones.
Chris Robshaw's return to the scene of England's World Cup disaster was quickly forgotten amid a chaotic but brilliant Aviva Premiership clash that produced another RBS 6 Nations injury doubt in Jonny May.
Greig Laidlaw will skipper Gloucester Rugby as they resume their Aviva Premiership campaign against Harlequins at Twickenham as part of Big Game 8 on December 27th.
Welsh international Jamie Roberts scored on his club debut as Harlequins secured a crushing 59-7 victory against Calvisano in the European Rugby Challenge Cup at The Stoop.
Harlequins ran in eight tries as they made it three wins from three with a comfortable 50-10 European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 3 victory over Calvisano.
Jamie Roberts' appearance in the 134th Varsity match between Oxford and Cambridge universities was cut short by a dead leg that could delay his debut for Harlequins.