Newcastle…………………… 45pts
Tries: Carreras 13, 35, 37; Chick 27, Blamire 52, Moroni 74
Conversions: Connon 14, 36, 38, 28, 53, 75
Penalties: Connon 45
Leicester …………………….. 26pts
Tries: Youngs 31, Chessum 41, Gopperth 72, Jansen 80+1
Conversions: Atkinson 42, 73, 80+2
NEWCASTLE Falcons are currently the most improved team in the Premiership, with power to add further, and with Mateo Carreras to the fore they tore an underpowered and subpar Tigers to shreds with this six-try demolition.
The style and manner of victory suggests that the BT Sport cameras, not the most regular of visitors to Kingston Park, will be inking more visits to Newcastle with some urgency. Happily, this was their featured match yesterday and just perhaps that added an extra incentive for the home team. Falcons certainly put on a show.
Hat-trick hero Carreras will take the headlines but Falcons hit Leicester from every which way, from inspirational skipper Tom Penny at full-back to their South African lineout ace Sebastien de Chaves who is also qualified for Portugal who would surely welcome him into their World Cup squad.
A curiously turgid opening passage featuring a barrage of aimless kicking from both sides gave little indication of the excitement which was to follow.
It was Carreras and Newcastle who changed the nature of the game after 13 minutes when they attacked fluently from a lineout before Penny spun and passed cleverly to send Carreras gliding over.
Carreras went close again with a chip and chase, only stopped by Freddie Steward impeding him and copping a yellow card before Falcons claimed a second try when Callum Chick powered his way over.
Leicester were rocking but did hit back with a cleverly taken try from Ben Youngs, dobbing down on the blindside of a ruck after Tigers had initially been thwarted down that flank but Newcastle weren't finished yet.
Next up Brett Connon spotted a bunch of front five forwards lurking in midfield and with a dog leg to work with he effortlessly made the break to release Carreras on the inside. Nice try.
And there was more. From their attack Tigers were over ambitious in midfield and the predatory Carreras picked off a pass 70 yards out and was gone. There is not a player in world rugby who could have chased him down, he really is a sight to behold when he gets those legs pumping.
Newcastle were on a roll and even managed to resist a seven-minute siege on their line which went deep into added time although they did lose US Eagles lock Greg Peterson to a yellow card in the process. Still 28-5 up at halftime sounded good.
Ollie Chessum grabbed a try back straight after the break but Connon immediately steadied the ship with a penalty before Falcons began to dominate again although Carreras did make his exit to rapturous applause having cramped up while making a big tackle. Happily, it seemed to be no worse than that.
Jamie Blamire rumbled over from a lineout to make it five tries and Leicester old boy Matias Moroni dived in spectacularly for a sixth after excellent work, yet again from Penny, who would have been automatic MOM on any other day.
With the match won and lost Tigers did belatedly discover a little fluency and grabbed a try bonus with late tries by former Falcons hero Jimmy Gopperth and Kiwi Sean Jansen but neither score offered much consolation.
