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Grayson (21'), Palframan (76')
Tries
Thompson (12'), Moro (23', 72'), Steward (56'), Reffell (80')
Connon (22', 77')
Conversions
Searle (13', 24', 57'), Bailey (73')
Connon (33')
Penalties
Searle (6', 62')
Newcastle’s search for a Premiership win goes on after Leicester left Kingston Park with a 39–17 victory built on control, composure and a knack for landing punches at the key moments. A sell-out crowd brought the noise; the Tigers brought the detail.
Leicester established the tone early. A straightforward penalty from Billy Searle settled the visitors, and on 13 minutes James Thompson supplied the first try, finishing a well-constructed attack that had Newcastle folding infield. Searle’s conversion pushed the lead out, and when Joaquín Moro skated in on 24 minutes after sharp hands down the right, the clinical edge of Leicester’s attack was clear.
Newcastle’s response before the interval was spirited and overdue. On 22 minutes Ethan Grayson cut a clever angle to pierce the line, Brett Connon adding the extras. The Red Bulls then leveraged territory to chip away at the deficit, Connon banking three more from the tee to send the game into the break with a manageable gap and a flicker of momentum.
The second half answered the question of control. Leicester resumed with a clear plan: kick long, squeeze territory, own the aerial battles and punish indiscipline. Freddie Steward’s finish on 57 minutes — after Tigers hammered the middle to earn quick ball and swung to the edge — restored daylight, Searle again on target. Connon clipped another penalty for Newcastle on 63 to keep it honest, but the visitors’ bench kept the throttle down and the error count low.
Moro’s second on 73 minutes came from relentless field position: a kick to the corner, maul pressure, advantage playing, and hands accurate enough to isolate the wing. Bailey’s conversion maintained the buffer. Newcastle punched back on 77 minutes through Richard Palframan after a rare clean multi-phase set near the Leicester line, Connon converting, but the final word belonged to the Tigers. With the clock in the red, Tommy Reffell hit a tight channel from short range to seal a bonus-point win and underline the gulf in accuracy.
For Newcastle, there were pockets of promise — Grayson’s running lines, flashes of tempo off quick rucks — but too many exits invited pressure and too many aerial contests slipped away. Leicester, by contrast, were tidy in the tramlines, ruthless in the red zone and unflustered throughout. The scoreboard reflected a difference in standards as much as moments: Tigers turned chances into points; Newcastle let too many slip.
