Match Report
Southern Knights - 10
Newcastle Falcons - 0
The Falcons showed the depth of their squad with a number of strong performances, but it was a former great who was uppermost in their thoughts as both clubs united in aid of Doddie Weir’s foundation.
The home side were 47-0 up at half-time and led after just three minutes – Freddie Lockwood mopping up a loose ball to score in the right corner after forays from Zach Kerr and Vereimi Qorowale.
Josh Thomas added the extras, and the Falcons doubled their lead on 13 minutes when a length-of-the-field move was started by Iwan Stephens’ jinking run and finished by Qorowale’s pace down the right wing – Thomas once again slotting the conversion.
The third try arrived on the quarter mark and was a crowd-pleasing effort as second-row Lockwood raced home from the half-way line after collecting a back-handed offload from Marcus Tiffen.
Number four followed quickly after when Thomas broke from his own half and fed Stephens for a run-in down the left, with Newcastle working a fast offloading game and moving the ball to space.
Lockwood’s hat-trick was completed on the half-hour when he hit a crash-ball line in the left corner, and Pete Lucock was next over when the centre ploughed over from first receiver after a scrum-five in the right corner.
There was time for one more before the break when Qorowale scored down the right after a transfer along the line, Josh Thomas’ touchline conversion putting his side 47-0 at the break.
The tries kept coming after half-time – Qorowale completing his hat-trick after a break down the right as Newcastle rolled on their entire bench.
The Fijian raced in for his fourth on 54 minutes, but Southern Knights stuck at it and were rewarded around the hour mark when openside Allan Ferrie charged over for a try, converted by Harris Rutherford.
The Scots found a second converted try round the back of a line-out in the left corner in a positive finish to the game, and then a third when Eoin Harrison scored from a maul in the same part of the field.
But it was Newcastle who had the final say on the scoreboard, Iwan Stephens scoring their tenth try of the day when he sped into the left corner – Josh Thomas converting.
**Newcastle Falcons:** 15 Alex Tait (captain), 14 Vereimi Qorowale, 13 Zach Kerr, 12 Pete Lucock, 11 Iwan Stephens, 10 Josh Thomas, 9 Josh Barton; 1 Conrad Cade, 2 Ollie Fletcher, 3 Mark Tampin, 4 Matthew Dalton, 5 Freddie Lockwood, 6 Pedro Rubiolo, 7 Marcus Tiffen, 8 Tom Marshall.
**Replacements:** 16 Charlie Smith, 17 Mark Dormer, 18 Conor Kenny, 19 Adam Scott, 20 Matt Deehan, 21 Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti, 22 Jeremy Civil, 23 Chidera Obonna, [blank shirt] Mike Rewcastle.
**Scorers -** Tries: Freddie Lockwood 3, Vereimi Qorowale 4, Iwan Stephens 2, Pete Lucock. Conversions: Josh Thomas 9.
**Southern Knights:** 15 Nathan Sweeney, 14 Keiran Clark, 13 Paddy Anderson, 12 Robbie Chalmers, 11 Ryan Cottrel, 10 Bruce Houston, 9 Callum Davidson; 1 Grant Shiells, 2 Russell Anderson, 3 Craig Greer, 4 Erem Demirel, 5 Jamie Campbell, 6 Will Hopes, 7 Allan Ferrie, 8 Gary Young.
**Replacements:** 16 James Bett, 17 Jack Dobie, 18 Eoin Harrison, 19 Clark Skeldon, 20 Cammy Thompson, 21 Murray Redpath, 22 Murray McGregor, 23 Harris Rutherford.
**Scorers –** Tries: Allan Ferrie, Gary Young, Eoin Harrison. Conversions: Harris Rutherford 2.
**Referee:** George Selwood.
