Seven-try romp puts Irish top

Newcastle now big candidates for the drop

Last updated: 4th January 2009

Geraghty: Pulled the strings for Irish

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London Irish returned to the top of the Guinness Premiership with a seven-try romp against relegation-threatened Newcastle at the Madejski Stadium.

The Exiles destroyed a confidence-stripped Falcons side 48-8, having the bonus-point wrapped up inside the opening half hour and eventually inflicting the biggest defeat on the visitors in the Premiership this season.

Newcastle made a lively start with winger John Rudd held up near the line, but Irish were soon in the ascendency with a 10-point burst inside five minutes.

Peter Hewat opened the scoring with a seventh minute penalty and then converted Topsy Ojo's 12th-minute try, after the England international intercepted Newcastle scrum-half James Grindal's speculative pass near the halfway line.

Rory Clegg booted a 15th-minute penalty for the Falcons but the hosts were so dominant that it was clear they would soon extend the lead, and they stunned the visitors with a match-winning three-try burst in seven minutes of play.

Quick-fire hat-trick

Forward Steffon Armitage dived over from the back of a short-range lineout before fellow flanker Declan Danaher dashed through an inviting gap to touch down, Hewat completing the quick-fire hat-trick.

Newcastle had no answer to fly-half Shane Geraghty's incisive running and he set up Hewat's impressive score with centre Elvis Seveali'i playing a big part, and with the full-back converting his own try Falcons were 29-3 down.

The only question remaining was whether they could keep the score respectable, but the answer was an emphatic 'no'.

Prop Alex Corbisiero scored the fifth try five minutes into the second period and after Hewat added his fourth successful conversion coach Toby Booth introduced veteran Mike Catt at stand-off with Geraghty moving to full-back.

And the 37-year-old ex-England star was next on the scoresheet, capitalising on the sin-binning of opposing replacement scrum-half Micky Young for a technical offence to cross for try number six.

Newcastle wing Tim Visser scored a breakaway try for the visitors in the 71st minute but the hosts had the last laugh when centre Seilala Mapusua broke through another inviting gap in the Falcons' defence, Geraghty adding the extras.