| Newcastle (14) 19 |
| Tries: Dalton, Blamire, Fearns Cons: Connon 2 |
| London Irish (19) 34 |
| Tries: Basham, Pearson, Fischetti, Cornish, Hassell-Collins Cons: Jackson 3 Pen: Jackson |
London Irish boosted their Premiership play-off hopes and moved up to fifth as they won 34-19 at Newcastle.
Irish raced 19-0 ahead through Josh Basham, Tom Pearson and Danilo Fischetti, but Matt Dalton and Jamie Blamire tries cut the lead to 19-14.
Carl Fearns levelled the scores from a catch and drive soon after the break.
However, Matt Cornish and Ollie Hassell-Collins soon took Irish clear again and Paddy Jackson’s late penalty sealed a fourth league win in five.
Having lost their first seven away Premiership matches of the season, back-to-back away wins moves the Exiles up to fifth and within two points of third-placed Leicester, but Falcons remain a place and a point above bottom side Bath after a 10th league defeat.
Irish set their stall out to run the ball at pace from the start and were rewarded inside three minutes when they moved it out to Josh Basham who barged past Michael Young to cross.
Former Falcons back row Basham then burst through a gap and was held up just yards short of the line, but the ball was recycled back to Pearson who wriggled over.
The visitors spent much of the first 25 minutes in Falcons territory and looked to be heading out of sight with a third try.
Swapping pace for power, a rolling maul sent Falcons back-pedalling towards their own line where Italy international prop Fischetti sniped over.
Newcastle needed a quick response and promptly took their first opportunity from a 5m lineout, Dalton burrowing over after Fearns was held up at the line.
Growing in confidence after another slow start, the hosts forced a series of penalties deep in Irish territory and from a tap and go, Blamire was shoved over for his sixth try of the campaign.
Falcons made it 29 tries for the season from lineouts when Fearns finished off a training ground catch and drive to level it up early in the second half.
But the Exiles rediscovered their free-flowing play to cut through the Newcastle defence and promptly restore their lead, Cornish taking the scoring pass.
Moments later England international Hassell-Collins finished off another sweeping Irish move for his 10th try of the league campaign to make it 31-19.
The visitors had a glorious chance for a sixth try following an interception from Jackson, who added nine points with the boot, but Scotland international Ben White knocked on when reaching for the line.
With three of their final four league matches at their Gtech Community Stadium stronghold – following a run of six wins in eight league matches – Irish now look serious contenders for a top-four finish.
Newcastle: Tight; Radwan, Moroni, Orlando, Racing; Connon, Young (c); Brocklebank, Blamire, Davison, Dalton, De Keys, Rubiolo, Chick, Fearns.
Replacements: Fletcher, Mulipola, Tampin, Lockwood, Marshall, Stuart, Schoeman, Lucock.
London Irish: Loader; Cinti, Joseph, Van Rensburg, Hassell-Collins; Jackson, White; Fischetti, Creevy, Hoskins, Ratuniyarawa, Simmons (c), Basham, Pearson, Cunningham-South.
Replacements: Cornish, Gigena, Chawatama, Caulfield, Rogerson, O’Sullivan, Morisi, Stokes.
Referee: Christophe Ridley.
