Harlequins vs Newcastle: Five takeaways as ‘unforgivable’ Red Bulls fail at the basics while ‘centurion’ Green repeats debut
Harlequins vs Newcastle: Five takeaways
Harlequins lit up the Stoop this afternoon, defeating Newcastle Red Bulls 52-14 in tremendous fashion to put some real distance between themselves and the bottom of the table.
Here are our five takeaways.
The Top Line
The Stoop was ordained with a perfect rainbow on Saturday afternoon, as the two sides prepared to kick-start their season following a disappointing first few rounds. However, as the game got underway, it appeared that only one side was truly up for the match.
Five tries and five conversions took place in the first half, and Newcastle Red Bulls were the owners of none.
Following an early Rodrigo Isgro disallowed try, Luke Northmore broke the deadlock after just ten minutes as he wrestled over the line between desperate Newcastle shoulders. Centurion Tyrone Green was next up, taking the short ball from Will Porter to ease over the whitewash to score his first of the match.
The next had a little more flair. Just as the commentators were discussing Marcus Smith’s standings in the England team, the fly-half showed exactly why he’s the first name on every Quins teamsheet, breaking the line with an audacious dummy to set Porter free to score under the posts.
Isgro was the next name on the scoresheet, latching onto the bouncing ball to score a spectacular try in the corner. Ending the half, the magic man at full-back, Green, scored his second of the match as he battled with numerous Newcastle defenders to squeeze his way over the line.
The second half followed the same script as the first. A try for Quins came just three minutes in as Will Evans scored from a rolling maul to signal further devastation for the visitors.
Cassius ‘The Kid’ Cleaves was next, using pure gas to touch down after yet another wonderful break by Smith. The third try of the half came through George Turner, touching down after yet another lineout maul on the right-hand side.
Newcastle scored two late tries to make the scoreboard appear more presentable, but the reality is that it made no difference to the result. Murray McCallum and Ollie Leatherbarrow will both be pleased to have gotten on the scoresheet, but it won’t make their journey back up north any easier.
100 for Green
It feels like only yesterday that Green became Quins’ saviour, replacing the now-retired, and then banned, Mike Brown at full-back in the latter stages of their Premiership-winning season. His electric presence was instrumental in ensuring that Quins made a late league resurgence to book their spot in the playoff finals in 2020, and was even more important in their famous ‘Bristanbul’ victory to ensure their trip to Twickenham.
On his 100th appearance today, he was back playing against Newcastle, the side he had debuted against all those years ago. He scored two tries then – and scored two more today.
Heavily involved throughout, he appeared to set up the first with a fizzed ball out to Isgro to score over under the posts, but sadly for the South African, it was called back for a forward pass.
Moments later, his fortune seemed to evade him once again, as he gave away a penalty for running a blocking line, which allowed Newcastle to turn the table on Quins. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the 27-year-old then tripped over what appeared to be a blade of grass when he was clear through to score. Fortune be it, he kept the ball alive, and the ball was recycled for Northmore to score the opener.
It wasn’t long before the talented full-back would get his own name on the scoreboard, running the hard line off Will Porter to extend the Quins lead. His efforts were further rewarded down the line, as he doubled up just before the break, grinding his way through a tired Newcastle defence to scoot over from close range.
His topsy-turvy fortune would rear its ugly head again on the 50-minute mark, as the crowd was forced to clap off an injured Green, who celebrated his 100th cap, not with cheers on the field with friends, but worried murmurs from fans as he made his way off of it.
A new dawn for Newcastle – just not yet
They say it’s darkest before the dawn. Well, despite their sun coloured kit, the Newcastle faithful are still awaiting their dawn.
They looked slow, sluggish and uncoordinated, and to be quite frank, the scoreline almost flattered them. There was little to be optimistic about; they didn’t look like they wanted to be there, and their cohesion was almost non-existent.
Yes, there are players due to join the outfit soon, Christian Wade and Tom Christie being the biggest names, but there needs to be more than just two additions to change this fortune around. Two late tries won’t change the bleak conversations that needed to be had after the match.
Their darkness won’t last forever, but it’s difficult to spot the light quite yet.
Harlequins’ work ethic
Simon Benitez Cruz faded when chasing the ball back to his own tryline, while Isgro pounced to score a tremendous try in the corner. This was the biggest example of the work rate contrast between the two sides.
Quins worked harder than their opposition, chasing seemingly dead balls, working hard in defence and attack, even when phases looked fruitless.
This is unforgivable from a Newcastle side that doesn’t have the ability to win on just skill or cohesion. For this team to ensure victories at the highest level of the English pyramid, they need to be the best at the things that don’t take talent or skill. They need to win the effort battle.
Certain members of Newcastle’s side worked hard. You can’t knock Fergus Lee-Warner for his work ethic. He wore his heart on his sleeve and made sure the Quins players knew he was there. But when you’re fighting a losing battle, or you feel you’re in battle on your own, aggression can spill over in the wrong way. He was clearly rattled, lashing out at times that he perhaps shouldn’t, but what’s a man to do when the whole system is clearly disjointed.
How it stands
Newcastle Red Bulls are yet to record a win in the Prem this year. To confirm, this brand new club has yet to record a competitive win in its history.
With the returning jeopardy of relegation looming, their new owners will want to see a change in fortunes at some stage, but sitting in bottom place without a point on the board will not fill their investors with confidence.
On the other side, Harlequins have set their standard for the rest of the season with this comprehensive performance. They now find themselves in a much more comfortable position in the table, reaching double figures as they tighten the gap on the midsection of the table.