| Newcastle: (28) 45 |
| Tries: Carreras 3, Chick, Blamire, Moroni Cons: Connon 6; Pen Connon |
| Leicester: (5) 26 |
| Tries: B Youngs, Chessum, Gopperth, Jansen; Cons: Atkinson 3 |
Winger Mateo Carreras starred with a first-half hat-trick as Newcastle demolished champions Leicester at Kingston Park.
The Argentina international's three tries included a stunning 80-metre solo effort to put the Falcons 28-5 ahead.
Callum Chick, Jamie Blamire and ex-Tiger Matias Moroni were also on the scoresheet for a rampant home side.
Brett Connon converted all six tries, adding a second-half penalty as Newcastle leapt four places to seventh.
Newcastle edged the opening exchanges, with Adam Radwan and Connon both scenting half-chances from a 50:2.
The Tigers kept them at bay initially before the visitors' defence was breached for the first time when Tom Penny scythed his way through midfield and fed Carreras, who touched down in the corner.
Carreras threatened to inflict further damage with another chip and chase attempt that he failed to gather, but Chick extended the Falcons' advantage, bundling his way over after the ball had been worked inside from a scrum.
Ben Youngs' quick thinking got Leicester on the scoreboard, gobbling up a chance in the corner after smart interplay between Freddie Steward and Ollie Chessum, but the home side quickly reasserted control.
Connon weaved his way through to set up a second try for Carreras - and the winger completed his treble just two minutes later, intercepting Dan Kelly's pass and galloping 80 metres downfield.
Leicester were denied a potential lifeline on the stroke of half-time, winning five penalties close to the line and Charlie Clare went over - only for the score to be chalked off due to a knock-on in the build-up.
The Tigers did reduce the deficit straight after the turnaround as Chessum's determination enabled him to power through following a break by Hanro Liebenberg.
But any hopes of a comeback for Richard Wigglesworth's side were dashed when Connon slotted a penalty before unleashing a pinpoint kick for touch that enabled Blamire to score from the back of a maul.
With a healthy 26-point advantage, Newcastle could afford to withdraw Carreras, suffering from slight cramp, with half an hour still to play.
Although Moroni's superb defending prevented Sean Jansen from grounding the ball over the line, Leicester did score again through Jimmy Gopperth despite Tommy Reffell's yellow card leaving them short-handed.
However, Moroni capitalised on ragged defending to leap over for the Falcons' sixth score before Jansen dived in with the final play of the game, ensuring the champions at least returned home with a bonus point.
Newcastle: Penny, Radwan, Moroni, Orlando, Carreras, Connon, Stuart, Brocklebank, Blamire, Davison, Peterson, de Chaves, G Graham, Chick, Fearns
Replacements: Maddison, Mulipola, Palframan, Dalton, Marshall, Young, Schoeman, Obatoyinbo
Leicester: Steward, Potter, Scott, Kelly, Simmons, Atkinson, B Youngs, Cronin, Clare, Cole, Wells, Green, Chessum, Reffell, Liebenberg
Replacements: Taufete'e, Leatigaga, Heyes, Henderson, 0Ilione, Jansen, Van Poortvliet, Gopperth
Referee: Tom Foley
Newcastle Falcons head coach Dave Walder told BBC Radio Newcastle:
"The pleasing thing was our attitude from the start to the end - we fought really well at key moments.
"Mateo (Carreras) will get the headlines for his unbelievable finishes but I think our (other) two Argentinians in the centre give us a bit of defensive solidity and allow us to play in the right areas.
"I thought our attitude and fight was absolutely bang on across the board. We played the game in the right areas and controlled the tempo.
"It's slightly tinged by Leicester getting a bonus point at the end but even in that instance we fought and scrapped and made it as difficult as possible and showed what we're about."
Leicester Tigers interim coach Richard Wigglesworth told BBC Radio Leicester:
"You play a good team at full strength, you need to be tactically on the button and we weren't.
"The discipline hurt us in the first half and we were under too much pressure. We didn't get in good positions in defence, so we didn't move quick enough which meant we were on the back foot, which meant we gave penalties away.
"We largely fixed that second half but by that point it was a long way.
"We're going to have to be better at the start of games to make sure we're in these contests for longer."
Source: BBC Rugby Union News