Following a 38-14 victory for Harlequins over Newcastle Falcons, here are our five takeaways from the Premiership encounter at Kingston Park on Friday.

The top line

After the match, Newcastle director of rugby Steve Diamond stated that it was the most disappointed he had been since joining the club. It was perhaps harsh on the players, who put in a tremendous effort, but you could understand his frustration.

Diamond felt that Harlequins were there for the taking, given the Londoners’ own issues this season and the unconvincing nature of their performance in the North East, but his side simply failed to win the key moments.

Quins took their chances throughout, with their scoring started by number eight James Chisholm. Although Adam Radwan hit back for the Falcons, Marcus Smith scythed through to give the visitors a 14-7 advantage at the break.

Smith extended that buffer in the second period with a penalty before Newcastle laid siege to the opposition rearguard, but their profligacy was once again an issue, despite Ben Redshaw’s try with just under 15 minutes remaining.

The Falcons fans and players sensed an opportunity but Harlequins were generally in control up front and could always rely on their trusty maul when the game got tight, resulting in Jack Walker going over for the key score.

With the hosts’ resistance now broken, the Londoners added two more tries in the latter stages through Oscar Beard and Sam Riley to end the game as a contest and leave Newcastle once again asking the question of ‘what if.’

Marcus Smith at full-back

An early injury to Rodrigo Isgro saw the England star shifted into the full-back position with Jarrod Evans coming on at fly-half. It probably rather pleased Steve Borthwick at the time, who got a chance to see the playmaker in that role ahead of the Six Nations, but it was ultimately a mixed bag from the 25-year-old.

Some of it was not necessarily his fault as needless ill-discipline kept the Falcons in the contest, but there were a few positional issues, as well as decision-making lapses in the wider channels, which would have frustrated Borthwick.

With George Furbank out – himself in the Red Rose team for his creativity and running ability – Smith could well be an option at 15, given that he offers similar qualities, but his best work was generally done at first receiver, where he shone in November.

There were some good moments linking with Evans, particularly for his well-constructed try following a beautiful assist from the Welshman, but the English playmaker was caught out a few times, both with and without the ball.

Smith will surely be in the team in the Six Nations but, with the Red Rose so strong in the fly-half position, Borthwick would perhaps like to see the flyer more at full-back to increase England’s options and versatility. Unfortunately, the head coach probably didn’t get the answers he wanted on Friday.

HIA protocols

Irne Herbst had been on the field for a matter of seconds when he connected with Richard Palframan’s head and subsequently found himself back on the sidelines. The big South African was correctly yellow carded for his hit on the Newcastle player, one the prop evidently felt as he was seemingly staggering immediately after the tackle.

However, the tighthead was surprisingly not withdrawn for a head injury assessment, despite the heavy nature of the contact. The game is such now that everything is monitored and players have sensitive smart mouthguards to measure the size of the impacts. You therefore have to trust the technology and the medics, but it seemed bizarre that Palframan remained on the pitch when he initially appeared so groggy.

A reaction but extra quality tells

After excellent victories over Exeter Chiefs and Saracens, Newcastle then shipped 101 points in total against Bath and Northampton Saints. Steve Diamond, who was particularly disappointed by their display at the defending champions, to an extent got the reaction he wanted, but it was not enough.

The Falcons were in the match for 70 minutes and had long spells deep inside the Quins half, especially in the second period, but they simply don’t have the talent to take advantage. The visitors, as they have been throughout the campaign, were hardly stellar, but every time Quins got into the opposition 22, they came away with points.

For Diamond, who has done a fine job in rekindling the passion and desire at Kingston Park, that lack of individual quality is something which is beyond his control. And in the last 10 minutes, having failed to take the majority of their chances, they wilted, leading to a scoreline which looked far more comfortable than it actually was.

England watch

With the Six Nations just under a month away and the squad announcement even closer, inevitably attention turns to international selection. Although Quins’ inconsistency could well count against a few players, certain individuals continue to play well and put their hands up.

To start with, talented flanker Jack Kenningham was once again immense, showing his all-court game to put himself in the mix for the Six Nations. Only injury has really deprived him from getting an England cap as when fit and on form, he is clearly someone who could do a job at the highest level. Excellent over the ball but also a fine lineout option, Kenningham may well be the long-term answer at blindside flanker.

Elsewhere, prop Fin Baxter was his usual busy self, although his lack of scrum dominance this season will be a concern for Borthwick, while Test hopefuls Luke Northmore, Oscar Beard and Cadan Murley had their moments but did not do enough to improve their selection chances.