Gloucester further playoff case with win over three-card Newcastle

Gloucester kept their Gallagher Premiership play-off hopes alive with a 26-12 win over rock-bottom Newcastle at Kingston Park.

Ben Stevenson opened the scoring for Newcastle, but the visitors took the lead through a Chris Harris try, and yellow cards for home duo Callum Chick and Cameron Neild allowed Gloucester to take charge as they scored a penalty try before Seb Atkinson crossed.

Harris was then sent to the sin bin minutes into the second half of a scrappy encounter, with Jack Cotgreave securing the bonus point for Gloucester before Joe Davis replied for the hosts.

Newcastle’s hopes of a strong finish were dashed as Stevenson was shown red for an aerial challenge on Santi Carreras, and fifth-placed Gloucester saw the game out to remain in the hunt for a top-four finish.

The game was a final outing at Kingston Park for Newcastle captain Chick and Jamie Blamire as they prepare to depart the club, and in the opening minutes, the Falcons enjoyed a promising string of phases stemming from a scrum five metres away from the Gloucester tryline.

Despite some solid defence from the visitors, Newcastle won the ball back on the halfway line and their early threat paid off when Stevenson was played in on the left flank to dive in at the corner. However, Brett Connon’s subsequent conversion whistled past the upright.

Although Gloucester struggled to build rhythm, they eventually found success from the lineout when Harris broke away and squeezed through a gap before touching down underneath the posts, with Carreras converting to put the Cherry and Whites ahead.

Spurred on by their try, Gloucester began to dominate, and Newcastle were suddenly plunged into trouble when two yellow cards were shown in quick succession.

Chick was the first to depart, and the visitors soon capitalised by scoring a penalty try, with Neild then following his skipper to the sin bin following another maul offence.

Using their two-player advantage, Atkinson burst down the centre of the pitch from inside his own to cross under the posts, with Carreras adding the extras to make it 21-5.

Gloucester had seemingly struck again when Ruan Ackermann charged down Sam Stuart’s kick to cross, but his effort was disallowed for offside.

An entertaining opening to the second half saw Newcastle threaten on the Gloucester tryline, and Harris sent to the sin bin for a high tackle before the away side won a penalty to ease the pressure.

The visitors suddenly extended their lead when Atkinson broke through the Falcons’ defensive line before offloading to Cotgreave, who crossed in the corner. Carreras sent his conversion effort well wide, though.

Newcastle then struck as Stevenson launched into a brilliant mazy run before playing in Davis, who dived underneath the posts, and Connon converted to make it 26-12.

The hosts threatened to reduce the deficit further still, but Max Pepper was hauled down just in front of the tryline before Freddie Lockwood had a great chance but was unable to ground.

Stevenson was then shown red in the 74th minute for his challenge on Carreras and Newcastle slumped to a 15th Premiership defeat of the season.