Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers maintained their unstoppable start to the season with a bonus-point win over Newcastle Falcons.

But it was not until the very last minute that winger Harry Potter crossed for their bonus-point fourth try.

Freddie Burns kicked the goal to add to George Ford's nine-point haul.

Sale-bound England stand-off Ford landed three conversions and a penalty on his 100th start for the club as Tigers made it to the halfway stage of the season nine points clear of second-placed Saracens - and with their 100% record still intact.

On a day when Newcastle became the first side to fail to score in a top flight game since Sale beat London Irish 39-0 in March 2020, the one personal highlight was ex-England international Brown making his 250th Premiership appearance. In doing so, he became only the sixth player in the top flight's 25-year history to reach that milestone, after Richard Wigglesworth (309), Leicester boss Steve Borthwick (265), George Chuter (262), Phil Dowson (262) and Charlie Hodgson (254).

Ford and Youngs in dominant form

On a rain-sodden pitch in front of a packed 22,000 crowd, accurate kicking from England half-backs Ford and Ben Youngs and Tigers' dominant pack were the key factors in Tigers' latest triumph.

Ford kicked Tigers into an early lead before the hosts broke Newcastle with two tries in quick succession.

The first for Kelly came from a driving line-out before Ford chipped ahead, Joel Hodgson fumbled and Scotland centre Scott collected the loose ball to score.

Newcastle then remained pinned in their own half before Martin crashed over from close range. And, with the last play of the game, a superb cross-field kick from replacement Burns was collected by Potter.

He stepped inside full-back Brown to score and stretch the Tigers' winning streak in all competitions to 16. And that brought a happy end to a Christmas week in which a past Leicester regime has been accused of Premiership salary-cap breaches, which are now under investigation.

Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick:

"We addressed it at the start of the week, told the players and asked them if they had any questions on it. We then got on with it, as anything that has happened was before I came here, so whatever will be, will be, and I can't do anything about it.

"We've got a terrific fanbase which other teams haven't got and we have to ensure that we make them proud of us.

"It was very wet out there and we played the conditions exceptionally well. We had to work really hard for the scores, especially the last one to get the bonus point at the end.

"This team has a great attitude to fight to the end but they are still are a young side who are improving as a team. We shouldn't be leaving it until the last minute to get a bonus point."

Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards:

"We were very rusty after not playing for three weeks but we didn't play the conditions particularly well.

"We had some possession in the first half but we were better off without it as George Ford and Ben Youngs were particularly shrewd. They controlled the game totally.

"Tigers are on a roll. They play a Saracens or Eddie Jones type of game which is a kick-and-chase style. It's incredibly successful at club level.

"The Leicester crowd will love it as it's like going back to the old days with no quarter given."

Leicester: Steward; Potter, Scott, Kelly, Porter; Ford, Youngs; Genge (capt), Montoya, Cole, Snyman, Wells, Reffell, Martin.

Replacements: Clare, Leatigaga, Heyes, Murimurivalu, Dolly, Van Poortvliet, Burns, Moroni.

Newcastle: Brown; Carreras, Orlando, Burrell, Radwan; Hodgson, Schreuder; Cooper, Maddison, Davison, Peterson, Robinson, Van der Walt, Welch (capt), Fearns.

Replacements: Smith, Mulipola, Tampin, Chick, Graham, Stuart, Connon, Penny.

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).