Wasps crashed to defeat at Kingston Park to bring to an end a run of four
Premiership victories and the London club will hold an inquest on Monday into
the manner of their defeat after conceding four second half tries.
Wasps director of rugby Nigel Melville said in the aftermath of the hammering:
"Now is not the time to talk about this. The real analysis will take place on
Monday when we will sit down and talk it through.
"The players are very honest and they share collective responsibility and
no-one is going to fall out over this."
Melville watched his side concede four tries in the second half, three in an
eight-minute period and added: "We thought we could still win it at half-time
but we simply gave away too much ball and Newcastle took every opportunity we
gave them.
"The ironic thing is that we good have scored a bonus point with the fourth
try...what an injustice that would have been."
Newcastle scored six tries watched by 4,234 ecstatic fans and England fly-half
Jonny Wilkinson ran the game from start to finish apart from a five-minute
period when the Falcons lost their way and Scotland wing Kenny Logan scored
twice.
Wilkinson rattled up 29 points including a 45-metre drop goal and a mammoth
50-metre penalty and had a hand in all Newcastle's tries scored by John Leslie,
Jamie Noon, Liam Botham and Gary Armstrong who both scored twice.
"It's as satisfying a performance as we've had, but we still had a couple of
five-minute spells of madness," said Newcastle manager Rob Andrew, "but we
came good and scored those tries because of the pace at which we played the
game.
"We won't get carried away with this although I do think we are not far off
the Baths and the Leicesters of this world.
"The players just have to believe it themselves but it's no good just winning
today, you have to do it next week, next month, next season."
Wilkinson's pass set Leslie's early try but two tries in three minutes from
Logan gave Wasps a 14-10 lead before Noon cut through for a try and then in the
second half Botham and Armstrong took over after a great try from Martyn Wood
converted by Logan although it was Wilkinson hammering over that 45-metre drop
goal and 50-metre penalty which kept Newcastle in front.
In the 57th minute he engineered Botham's first try with a scissors pass. His
conversion made 39-21 and then he kicked his fifth penalty to take Newcastle on
to 42-21 before a cheeky Armstrong double finished off Wasps.
First he emerged from the back of the Wasps scrum with the ball and dashed 30
metres to score and Wilkinson converted for 49-21 and then when Trevor Leota
fumbled in his own 22, the Newcastle scrum-half was there again to snap it up
and dash in for the try.
Newcastle's triumph was complete when Botham intercepted on his own 22 and
raced away to score in 77th minute and make the final score 59-21.
Teams:
Newcastle:
Tries: Leslie, Noon, Botham 2, Armstrong 2.
Cons: Wilkinson 4.
Pens: Wilkinson 6.
Drop Goals: Wilkinson.
Newcastle: Stephenson, Botham, Noon, Leslie, Tuigamala,
Wilkinson, Armstrong, Graham, Nesdale, Peel, Weir, Grimes,
Beattie, Mower, Jenner.
Replacements: Ward for Peel (69), Vyvyan for Weir (69),
Cartmell for Mower (72).
Not Used: Chilten, May, Walder, Balshen.
Sin Bin: Armstrong (12).
Wasps:
Tries: Logan 2, Wood.
Cons: Logan 3.
Wasps: Lewsey, Roiser, Waters, Denney, Logan,
Leek, Wood,
Molloy, Greening, Green, Reed, Shaw, Worsley, Volley, Dallaglio.
Replacements: Le Chevalier for Molloy (66),
Leota for Green (66).
Not Used: Page, Sampson, Scrase, Birkett, Beardshaw.
Att: 4,232
Ref: Steve Lander (RFU).
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