Newcastle Falcons booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Premiership Rugby Cup thanks to Sunday’s home win over Caldy.

In doing so they maintained their unbeaten run in the competition with five wins from five, although home advantage in the knock-out rounds is not yet mathematically secured heading into next weekend’s pool climax at Sale Sharks.

The Falcons were 26-5 up at the interval but it was the visitors who stormed into an early lead, Will Robinson scoring an unconverted try in the right corner from a cross-field kick as a combative Caldy outfit worked advantage to good effect.

Newcastle responded by dominating territory and possession, and following repeated infringements they made one of their penalties count when Brett Connon kicked to the left corner and Jamie Blamire steered home the driving maul.

Connon’s conversion put the Falcons in front, and his side doubled their advantage on 18 minutes when prop Adam Brocklebank marked his 134^th appearance for the club by scoring his first ever try.

The loose-head ploughed over from a close-range pick and go near the posts, and the Falcons rapidly followed it up with try number three when Nathan Greenwood latched on to an Ollie Leatherbarrow line-break to score down the right-hand side.

The four-try bonus point arrived on the half-hour when Blamire powered over from a close-range pick-and-go for his second of the afternoon, but it was not all plain sailing as they lost Freddie Lockwood and Brocklebank to the sin bin, and Max Pepper to injury.

Leading by 21 at half-time, Newcastle wasted no time adding to their tally as Lockwood steamed down the short-side after a scrum down the left enabled him to power over for his side’s fifth try.

Connon slotted the conversion, but his side were soon back down to 14 men when Elliott Obatoyinbo became the third Falcon to be sin-binned following a tackle around halfway.

It did not change the momentum of the game as the Falcons remained in the ascendancy, Greenwood racing in for his second try after quick hands down the short-side put him into the left corner.

Connor Doherty was next over as the scoring continued on the hour mark, the centre latching on to a Kieran Wilkinson offload to score down the left.

Wilkinson’s conversion took the tally to 45, but the Falcons were soon under their own posts when Caldy’s replacement hooker Jack Ellam scored from a maul in the right corner, converted by Charlie Attis.

Callum Hancock had a try chalked off for a forward pass as the home side resumed their dominance of territory and possession, but there was no stopping Freddie Lockwood from a couple of yards out when the Yorkshireman took the ball at first receiver and charged over, Wilkinson again converting.

Joe Davis continued the scoring five minutes from time, the teenage scrum-half racing down the left from 40 metres out.

Reuben Parsons was next over in a flurry of late tries as he used footwork and power to find a path to the line, and Davis had the final say with the very last play when he collected a pass from Obatoyinbo to dot down.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 14 Max Pepper (Oli Spencer, 28), 13 Connor Doherty, 12 Max Clark, 11 Nathan Greenwood, 10 Brett Connon (Kieran Wilkinson, 53), 9 Sam Stuart (Joe Davis, 58); 1 Adam Brocklebank (Micky Rewcastle, 61), 2 Jamie Blamire (Ollie Fletcher, 53), 3 Murray McCallum (Callum Hancock, 61), 4 John Hawkins, 5 Sebastian de Chaves (Adam Scott, 34), 6 Philip van der Walt (captain, Reuben Parsons, 61), 7 Ollie Leatherbarrow, 8 Freddie Lockwood.

Scorers – Tries: Jamie Blamire 2, Adam Brocklebank, Nathan Greenwood 2, Freddie Lockwood 2, Connor Doherty, Joe Davis 2,Reuben Parsons. Conversions: Brett Connon 4, Kieran Wilkinson 5.

Caldy: 15 Matthew Kilcourse, 14 William Robinson, 13 Connor Wilkinson, 12 Michael Barlow, 11 Charlie Hyde, 10 Sam Rogers (Charlie Attis, 53), 9 Jacob Tansey (Laurie Essenhigh, 48; 1 Nathan Rushton, 2 Oliver Hearn, 3 Joseph Sproston, 4 Freddie Stevenson, 5 Thomas Sanders, 6 Sam Olyott, 7 Callum Ridgway, 8 Josiah Dickinson (captain, Matt Gallagher, 56).

Scorers – Tries: Will Robinson, Jack Ellam. Conversions: Charlie Attis.

Referee: Dan Jones. Attendance: 3,625.