Friday night’s Gallagher Premiership match at Kingston Park saw Newcastle Red Bulls claim a thrilling 25-19 victory over Gloucester Rugby, marking their first league win since the start of the 2024/25 season.
Former Cherry and Whites hooker George McGuigan was among the standout performers for Newcastle, opening the scoring with a try in the early stages. Both teams were reduced to 14 men when Jamie Hodgson and Arthur Clark received yellow cards following a midfield altercation, yet Newcastle extended their lead through Tom Christie’s effort from a powerful maul.
Gloucester responded with a try from Ollie Thorley, but Brett Connon’s precise kicking kept the Red Bulls ahead. At halftime, Newcastle led 15-5. The second half began with Simon Benitez Cruz breaking through Gloucester’s defence to score, further cementing Newcastle’s advantage.
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Gloucester faced a setback when Thorley was shown a 20-minute red card for a head collision shortly after the restart. Despite this, Gloucester rallied with late tries from Mikey Austin and Ciaran Knight. Ross Byrne’s conversions narrowed the gap, but Newcastle’s resilience ensured the vital win.
The Cherry and Whites were without key players, notably missing captain and reigning Gallagher Premiership Player of the Year Tomos Williams and starting without a senior hooker, having signed Hartpury’s Will Crane shortly before the match. These challenges compounded an already difficult night for Gloucester.
Newcastle’s Christian Wade impressed on his Premiership debut with several strong runs and dynamic play, complementing Connon’s game management. The Red Bulls’ forwards dominated the set-pieces, particularly in the lineout maul, which led directly to critical tries.
Despite Gloucester’s spirited comeback attempt in the closing stages, Newcastle controlled the final minutes to secure a much-needed victory and boost their standings at the foot of the table.
Newcastle Red Bulls Starting XV:
15 Ethan Grayson, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Sammy Arnold, 11 Elliott Obatoyinbo, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Simon Benitez Cruz, 1 Murray McCallum, 2 George McGuigan (capt), 3 Richard Palframan, 4 Oscar Usher, 5 Jamie Hodgson, 6 Tom Gordon, 7 Tom Christie, 8 Ollie Leatherbarrow.
Gloucester Rugby Starting XV:
15 Charlie Atkinson, 14 Jack Cotgreave, 13 Will Knight, 12 Seb Atkinson (capt), 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Ross Byrne, 9 Mikey Austin, 1 Val Rapava Ruskin, 2 Will Crane, 3 Afo Fasogbon, 4 Freddie Thomas, 5 Arthur Clark, 6 Deain Gwynne, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Jack Clement.
Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant Referees: Richard Gordon & Wayne Falla
TMO: Peter Allan