Newcastle 38-32 Harlequins: First try bonus for Falcons
Last Updated: 04/12/16 6:03pm
Newcastle secured back-to-back Premiership victories for the first time since February as they beat Harlequins at home.
The in-form Falcons needed tries in the final quarter from Evan Olmstead and Marcus Watson to halt a second-half fightback that had taken Harlequins from 26-8 down to just 26-22 behind.
Newcastle now have five wins from 10 Premiership matches, equalling their tally from the whole of last season's campaign and secured their first try bonus point of the season.
Harlequins - who were without England players Chris Robshaw, Marland Yarde, Mike Brown, Joe Marler, Kyle Sinckler and Danny Care - have won all five of their home games but lost all five away.
They did, however, earn their first points on the road, Tim Visser's injury-time score against his former club earning a try bonus and Ruaridh Jackson's subsequent conversion earning a losing bonus point.
Fly-half Tim Swiel kicked Harlequins into a 3-0 lead with a seventh-minute penalty, but they were trailing after 12 minutes. Young broke smartly from the base of a scrum and exchanged passes with winger Alex Tait before scoring under the posts.
Fly-half Joel Hodgson added the conversion to give Newcastle a 7-3 lead, but Harlequins were not long in hitting back.
An 18th-minute attack ended with former Newcastle winger Visser feeding hooker Rob Buchanan for a try in the right corner. Swiel was off target with the conversion attempt, but Harlequins were back in front at 8-7.
The lead continued to rotate, Juan Pablo Socino picking up a loose ball at a ruck and darting over the Harlequins try-line after 28 minutes and Hodgson landing the conversion to make it 14-8 to Newcastle.
The home side were on an attacking roll and three minutes later they had a third try, captain Wilson barging over from close range after a slick line-out move. Hodgson's conversion stretched the lead to 21-8 at the interval.
Two minutes into the second half Newcastle had their bonus point score, Socino taking a pass from fellow centre Fred Burdon and dashing over for his second try of the afternoon. This time Hodgson pushed the conversion wide, but the lead was up to 26-8.
Scrum-half Karl Dickson gave Harlequins hope of a fightback, diving over from close range for a 53rd-minute try that was converted by replacement fly-half Jackson.
That cut the home lead to 11 points and, when Dickson broke through the home defence for his second try - again converted by Jackson - Harlequins were just 26-22 down with 20 minutes still to play.
Olmstead's unconverted try after 65 minutes gave Newcastle breathing space at 31-22.
A Jackson penalty pegged the score back to 31-25, but then, with 76 minutes on the clock, Watson scored try number six for Newcastle in the left corner and full-back Delany converted.
To their credit, Quins salvaged consolation late on with Visser crossing for a try bonus and Jackson converting for a losing bonus point.
