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A hat-trick of tries from Leicester\u2019s Wales flanker Tommy Reffell ensured Newcastle\u2019s desperate start to the season with a 47-3 Gallagher Premiership defeat.<\/p>\n
After eight league games, one-dimensional Newcastle Falcons remain winless, having picked up just four points to stay rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points behind ninth-placed Gloucester.<\/p>\n
After a slow start, Leicester Tiger\u2019s pack gradually took control with Matt Scott, Jasper Wiese, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Mike Brown also on the try-scoring sheet to add to Reffell\u2019s hat-trick, with Handre Pollard kicking four conversions and Jamie Shillcock another two.<\/p>\n
A penalty from Brett Connon was Newcastle\u2019s sole response.<\/p>\n
The win was Leicester\u2019s third in succession and they now lie seventh in the league table.<\/p>\n
Newcastle dominated the opening 10 minutes by penning their opponents in their own 22. Their relentless pressure won a number of penalties and eventually they opted for a kick at goal with Connon knocking over a straightforward attempt.<\/p>\n
Tigers\u2019 response was swift as their first attack resulted in a try for Reffell, who finished off a driving line-out.<\/p>\n
Pollard converted before Scott scored Leicester\u2019s second try by carving through the visitors\u2019 defence after receiving the ball from a line-out 15 metres out.<\/p>\n
Newcastle had competed well in the first half-hour but conceding two tries in quick succession was a hammer blow to their chances.<\/p>\n
The second came after the hosts had gone through 15 phases before Reffell was presented with an easy run-in.<\/p>\n
With the last move of the half, Leicester picked up their bonus-point try when Wiese powered over with Pollard\u2019s conversion giving his side a 26-3 interval lead.<\/p>\n
After the restart a kicking error from Falcons\u2019 scrum-half, James Elliott, gave the home side an attacking platform but they couldn\u2019t capitalise as the incessant rain was hampering their efforts.<\/p>\n
However Newcastle just couldn\u2019t get out of their half and it came as no surprise when Tigers scored a fifth try with Reffell completing his hat-trick from a driving line-out.<\/p>\n
Pollard converted but that was his final act as he, Ben Youngs, Scott and Ollie Chessum were all withdrawn in one swoop.<\/p>\n
Wiese was also replaced but not before the number eight had been high tackled by Falcons\u2019 flanker, Pedro Rubiolo, who collected a yellow card from referee Sara Cox.<\/p>\n
Tigers soon benefitted when a strong run from replacement from Solomone Kata presented Hassell-Collins with a try before Brown rammed home Tigers\u2019 superiority with their seventh try.<\/p>\n