Quins started, as they had in previous games, attempting to attack with quick handling and determined driving from the forwards and within a couple of minutes had pressured Falcons into going offside at a ruck on their twenty-two. Malone took the easy kick in front of the posts to give Quins a 0 – 3 lead.

A good run from Tom Guest, lurking on the right wing, took play deep into Falcons’ territory until a knock on ended the attack. Then, for the first of many times a kick deep into the Falcons’ half was returned with distance by Matthew Burke, pushing Quins back even further than where they had started.

Both sides were guilty of unforced errors. A penalty to Falcons saw Burke find excellent touch in the Quins twenty-two, only for Evans to steal the ball at the lineout and Quins to clear the danger. Kicking, indeed, began to dominate the game with Burke, in particular, bombarding the Quins’ defence with high balls that Falcons chased enthusiastically. Mike Brown tried to return many of them but missed touch too often and found the ball with Burke and returned with interest.

Jim Evans was sent to the sin-bin after twenty minutes for taking out a Falcons player in the air and a penalty advantage to Quins was reversed. Falcons tried to catch and drive from the attacking lineout but knocked on. Quins had a scrum at which they gained a penalty despite being short of a forward as Falcons came offside.

A dangerous tackle gave Quins another penalty wide out and just inside the Falcons twenty-two. Malone’s kick was accurate and after twenty-five minutes Quins were leading 0 – 6.

Falcons persisted in their use of the high ball with Joe Shaw also getting excellent height and distance. Falcons’ chasers were pretty quick and forced Browne to put the ball into touch. The attacking lineout produced an attempted catch and drive which was well held out on the first two occasions as Falcons were encamped on the Quins’ line, but eventually Parling got across the line to score the try. Burke converted and Newcastle led after thirty-two minutes by 7 – 6.

Quins went back on the attack and an attempted catch and drive was penalised as “truck and trailer”. Another high ball bounced away off Brown and Williams as they sought to catch it and allowed Tom May to pounce and collect and race over for another try. Burke again converted to increase the home side’s lead to 14 – 6. Now obviously encouraged by their success Falcons began to play the better rugby as Quins continued to make unforced errors as the half ended without further score.

At half time Tosh Masson replaced Hal Luscombe, who had taken a knock. Falcons, too, replaced Ward and May by Wilson and Dehaty respectively. The aerial bombardment continued but Quins pressed forward and after only four minutes gained a penalty as Falcons again went offside. Malone duly scored and the lead was cut to 14 - 9.

Quins began to try to move the ball through the hands and wide and again Falcons went offside. This time the penalty was fifteen metres in on the left on the Falcons’ twenty-two and Malone’s kick just went a foot outside the left post. Ten minutes later, when he had another chance he again missed, this time narrowly on the right. These two chances not taken were to cost Quins dear.

Between these two kicks Quins tried hard to attack, moving the ball along the backs and with Brown coming up into the line only for the final pass to be forward. Another similar attack ended the same way with Masson’s pass was marginally forward. In an attempt to inject further pace, Seb Stegmann came on for his Premiership debut in place of Fulton with Keogh moving to scrum-half as the third quarter ended. Laurent and Skinner replaced Croall and Robshaw.

But now Newcastle found room to run behind another high ball. They caught it and moved the ball along their three-quarter line. Burke joined the line at pace and he was able to crash over for the try in the right corner. The conversion was missed but now the lead was 19 –12.

In the last ten minutes Quins tried everything to get back on terms. They exerted enough pressure to get deep into Falcons’ territory but could not get to the line. A kickable penalty was kicked to the corner for an attacking line-out but Falcons disrupted the lineout and turned over the ball. With only a minute remaining another penalty fifteen metres from the posts was again kicked to touch and again the catch and drive failed.

One could not help feeling that had the two penalties not been missed, the two later ones, kicked to posts and not touch, would have ensured the win. But overall, Quins played less well than their previous games and need to tighten up before the visit of Bristol. The bonus point was a poor consolation for a game that ought to have been won

Dean Richards was clearly disappointed with the performance. “We showed pretty low imagination in getting the ball over the line," said Quins Director of Rugby.

“The tries they scored, we gave them two, possibly three. They took their chances

We had loads of chances and didn't convert any into points. We created a lot of opportunities and just did not put any of them away which is very disappointing. to create so many opportunities and not put any of them away. That's something we need to work on for next week."

Newcastle Falcons: 15. Matt Burke 14. Tom May 13. Tom Dillon 12. Joe Shaw 11. John Rudd 10. Steve Jones 9. Lee Dickson 1. Joe McDonnell 2. Andy Long 3. Micky Ward 4. Jason Oakes 5. Mark Sorenson 6. Geoff Parling 7. Phil Dowson 8. Russell Winter
Replacements: 16. Matt Thompson 17. David Wilson 18. Jon Golding 19. Andy Perry 20. Brent Wilson 21. James Grindal 22. Adam Dehaty

Harlequins: 15. Mike Brown 14. Tom Williams 13. Hal Luscombe 12. Jordan Turner-Hall 11. Simon Keogh 10. Chris Malone 9. Billy Fulton 1. Ceri Jones 2. Aston Croall 3. Mike Ross 4. Ollie Kohn 5. Jim Evans 6. Chris Robshaw 7. Paul Volley 8. Tom Guest
Replacements: 16. Christophe Laurent 17. Ricky Nebbett 18. Nicolas Spanghero 19. Will Skinner 20. Phil Davies 21. Tosh Masson 22. Seb Stegmann

Referee: M. Fox (RFU)

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