Match Report
Harlequins - 0
Newcastle Falcons - 13
Trailing 28-12 at half-time and failing to rein in their hosts during the closing 40, a spirited Falcons side will now have the opportunity to regroup before attacking the 2021-22 season at full throttle.
Newcastle had found themselves a try down inside five minutes when Harlequins opted for a scrum from a penalty in front of the posts – Jack Kenningham collecting an inside offload from Alex Dombrandt to dot down the converted score.
But the North Easterners hit back quickly, winning a scrum penalty 40 metres out and sending it to touch for a close-range line-out, from which George McGuigan eventually scored a pick-and-go try in the right corner.
Brett Connon’s touchline conversion levelled the teams up, but the Londoners were back in front on 15 minutes when they again called for a scrum at a red-zone penalty – Danny Care stepping against the grain to score a converted try between the posts.
The visitors kept plugging away, however, McGuigan crossing the whitewash once again on 19 minutes when Joel Hodgson’s arcing run and sound ball placement allowed the hooker to skilfully scoop up the loose ball and barrel over.
Connon’s conversion bounced back off the right post to leave Quins ahead by two, and there was a further boost for the Falcons when the TMO chalked off a try by home lock Matt Symons just after the quarter mark.
Care eventually did manage to cross for their third try on 33 minutes when he collected the last of a series of inside passes after a breakaway down the left, and they had a four-try bonus point when Tyrone Green scored in the left corner with the final play of the half.
That left Newcastle trailing 28-12 at the interval, and they were a further five points down in the early stages of the second 40 when Louis Lynagh profited from a cross-field kick to the right and an inside offload to score an unconverted try.
Newcastle never threw in the towel, however, and in the week of his England call-up Adam Radwan scored another solo special – the winger taking slow ball 50 metres out and jinking his way to the line in the style which has become so familiar to Falcons fans.
Hopes of a Falcons fightback were extinguished just after the hour mark, however, when the home side kicked a penalty to the left corner and spun the ball wide from the resulting line-out – Joe Marchant taking flat ball in midfield and scything through for a converted try.
Newcastle threatened to make things interesting when replacement hooker Jamie Blamire scored from a catch-and-drive in the left corner to secure the four-try bonus point, but the clock was against them and the margin too big to rein in.
Harlequins added late tries from Landajo and Gray, with Newcastle heading for a summer of recuperation and re-building ahead of 2021-22.
**Newcastle Falcons:** 15 Joel Hodgson, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 George Wacokecoke, 12 Luther Burrell (Pete Lucock, 45), 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Brett Connon (Alex Tait, 64), 9 Louis Schreuder (Michael Young, 45); 1 Adam Brocklebank (Kyle Cooper, 55), 2 George McGuigan (Jamie Blamire, 55), 3 Trevor Davison (Rodney Ah You, 55), 4 Greg Peterson (Philip van der Walt, 57), 5 Sean Robinson, 6 Will Welch, 7 Mark Wilson (captain), 8 Callum Chick (Carl Fearns, 49).
**Scorers –** Tries: George McGuigan 2, Adam Radwan, Jamie Blamire. Conversions: Brett Connon 2, Joel Hodgson.
**Harlequins:** 15 Tyrone Green (Cadan Murley, 58), 14 Louis Lynagh, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Ben Tapuai, 11 Aaron Morris, 10 Marcus Smith (Luke Northmore, 65), 9 Danny Care (Martin Landajo, 61); 1 Joe Marler (Santiago Garcia Botta, 61), 2 Scott Baldwin (Joe Gray, 55), 3 Wilco Louw (Will Collier, 55) , 4 Matt Symons (Hugh Tizard, 58), 5 Dino Lamb, 6 Tom Lawday (James Chisholm, 63), 7 Jack Kenningham, 8 Alex Dombrandt (captain).
**Scorers –** Tries: Jack Kenningham, Danny Care 2, Tyrone Green, Joe Marchant 2, Joe Gray. Conversions: Marcus Smith 5, Joe Marchant, Ben Tapuai.
**Referee:** Christophe Ridley.
