Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 22-32 Gloucester

Louis Rees-Zammit sprints away to his fourth Premiership try of the season

A formidable Gloucester wrapped up a fifth Premiership win on the road this season, with a bonus point, five-try victory over Newcastle.

Val Rapava-Ruskin got the Cherry and Whites' first, before Adam Radwan hit back for the Falcons.

Santiago Carreras and Lewis Ludlow made it 20-8 at the break to the visitors, before Mateo Carreras cut the deficit.

Ollie Thorley and Louis Rees-Zammit pushed Gloucester clear, making Charlie Maddison's score a late consolation.

The kick-off at Kingston Park was put back to 19:00 GMT for safety reasons due to adverse weather but the high winds of the earlier storm remained as the ball hung in the air from the first whistle.

Falcons fly-half Brett Connon put the first points on the board, before Gloucester's unstoppable driving maul gained them territory from a line-out from which Rapava-Ruskin eventually rolled over.

Radwan retaliated straight away, sprinting down the right wing and stepping inside to score, although Connon's conversion was charged down.

Three minutes later, Carreras claimed Gloucester's second try and nudged them 12-8 ahead after Billy Twelvetrees flung a long pass out wide.

Newcastle centre Pete Lucock looked to have the night's fourth try in less than 20 minutes as he broke the line, but it was ruled out by the Television Match Official for an obstruction in the build-up.

An Adam Hastings penalty gave Gloucester a seven-point buffer, and just after the half-hour mark captain Ludlow scored a third try at close range. Still, both sides saw points go begging as the wind played havoc with kicks at the posts.

Argentine Carreras scored the first Premiership try of his career to keep the home side in it early in the second half, but as Gloucester rung the changes their wingers raced them ahead.

As the maul sucked in defenders, Thorley found space on the outside to clinch the bonus point, before substitute Rees-Zammit produced the try of the night, running in unopposed from his own 22.

Seconds before the clock turned red, Maddison dived over beneath the posts for Newcastle, but it was too late as they fell to their seventh league defeat of the season.

Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards told BBC Radio Newcastle:

"We didn't quite play as well as we could have done, there were a few loose kicks... and then when they're five metres from our line I think our rustiness showed.

"We haven't played consistently for probably a month and a half now and it made a big difference and it showed.

"It's been six or seven weeks of not knowing whether we're playing from one week to the next and what's going on. We're back in now and hopefully the Covid's gone through the camp we'll get a bit of continuity."

Gloucester head coach George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"The fact they came through the postponement and having their preparation disrupted, the way they came out in these conditions and managed to deliver was outstanding as a group.

"We've dealt with lots of adversity and lots of bits and pieces last year and the boys stood strong, and we stood strong to what we believed would be successful in the long run, and we're starting to see bits of that now.

"We're not absolutely 100% there yet by any means but this is another step. You come somewhere really hard, you have some adversity in the background and you get challenged on a few bits and pieces.

"Newcastle are a good team, they play some good rugby and you've got to keep coming back and the game swings, and we come through it."

Newcastle: Brown; Radwan, Orlando, Lucock, Carreras; Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, McGuigan, Tampin, Peterson, Robinson, Van der Walt, Welch (capt), Chick.

Replacements: Maddison, Cade, Brantingham, Graham, Wilson, Nordli-Kelemeti, Haydon-Wood, Penny.

Gloucester: Evans; Carreras, Harris, Twelvetrees, Thorley; Hastings, Chapman; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Balmain, Slater, Clarke, Reid, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann.

Replacements: Socino, Elrington, Gotovstev, Davidson, Clement, Varney, Kveseladze, Rees-Zammit.

Sin-bin: Socino (80)

Referee: Jack Makepeace (RFU).

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