Newcastle got their European Rugby Challenge Cup campaign firmly back on track with a thumping 50-7 win over last season's semi-finalists Grenoble at Kingston Park.

The Falcons ran in eight tries, and had a bonus point wrapped up before half-time, to immediately bounce back after they lost their Pool Two opener 45-0 to Ospreys.

Director of rugby Dean Richards had expected a tough encounter against the club he coached just over a decade ago, and for the first 25 minutes only William Welch's converted try separated the teams. But the floodgates opened in the remaining minutes before half-time as Will Witty, Tane Takulua and Mark Wilson all touched down for converted tries.

The Falcons led 28-0 at the break and the free scoring continued after the resumption.

Just four minutes into the second half Ben Sowrey was celebrating a try and thoughts were starting to turn toward whether Richards' men could erase the hefty points differential they suffered against Ospreys.

Joel Hodgson took them a step closer when he added a try to his five conversions, for a 15-point haul, before Scott Lawson and Marcus Watson also crossed to make it eight different Falcons scorers in the game.

Grenoble, second-bottom in the French Top 14, at least got on the scoreboard seven minutes from the end when Edward Sawailau's try was converted by David Mele.

Newcastle's win drew them level with Lyon in the pool after they were well beaten 31-13 by Ospreys on Saturday.