Gloucester hold off Newcastle for back-to-back wins

Freddie Clarke (centre) led the Gloucester celebrations after their victory over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park

Newcastle(0) 14
Tries: Penalty, Radwan Con: Connon
Gloucester(15) 18
Tries: McGuigan, Morris; Pens: Barton 2 Con: Barton

Gloucester overcame foul conditions at Kingston Park and a late Newcastle Falcons rally to claim their first away win in the Premiership for almost a year.

Newcastle found a response with a penalty try before Adam Radwan's score reduced the deficit to only four.

They threatened in the final stages but the Cherry and Whites just clung on.

It was a second win for Gloucester, who now lead the early-season table, after a last-gasp opening weekend victory over Harlequins. But they almost blew it as Newcastle scored 14 unanswered points before the final whistle.

Earlier, fly-half George Barton opened the scoring for Gloucester with a penalty before a second penalty in the left corner was kicked to touch and McGuigan peeled off the driving maul to score.

Scrum-half Stephen Varney then sent up a box kick from the 10-metre line that swirled in the wind and totally deceived Newcastle winger Ben Stevenson, who grasped only at thin air, and the ball bounced kindly for Morris to gather and touch down.

Barton extended the lead from the tee after the break but Newcastle began to dominate territory and finally got on the board when McGuigan pulled down a maul to concede a penalty try, with the Gloucester hooker sent to the sin-bin.

Newcastle quickly scored again as a loose pass fell into space 35 metres from the visitor's line and Radwan collected and set off towards the right wing before jinking inside to score a superb individual try.

Newcastle bore down on the Gloucester line as the clock ticked down but the Cherry and White's captain Lewis Ludlow produced what proved to be a match-clinching turnover at the breakdown.

Newcastle: Redshaw, Radwan, Penny, Jennings, Stevenson, Connon, O'Sullivan; Brocklebank, Blamire, McCallum, Van der Walt, De Chaves, Lockwood, Pepper, Chick (c).

Replacements: Van Vuuren, Brantingham, Tampin, McDonald, Cross, Stuart, Orlando, Obatoyinbo.

Sin-bin: Chick (40).

Gloucester: Evans, Morris, Harris, Atkinson, Thorley, Barton, Varney; Ford-Robinson, McGuigan, Balmain, Clarke, Clark, Donnell, Ludlow (C), Mercer.

Replacements: Blake, Rapava-Ruskin, Knight, Thomas, Clement, Chapman, Llewellyn, Hearle.

Sin-bin: McGuigan (67).

Referee: J Makepeace.

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