Freddie Tuilagi's try 12 minutes from time secured Leicester their fourth successive title at Welford Road.

The Tigers were struggling to impose themselves on a scrappy affair until director of rugby Dean Richards unleashed five England regulars on the tiring Newcastle defence around the hour mark.

In the build-up to the game, Falcons coach Rob Andrew had stressed how huge a factor Leicester's strength in depth was on their dominance of the English domestic scene.

And sure enough, the arrival of Neil Back, Austin Healey, Graham Rowntree, Dorian West and Ben Kay tilted the balance in the Tigers' favour to send another capacity crowd into party mood.

The boot of Tim Stimpson had nosed Leicester into a three-point lead when Healey set up an attacking raid.

Stimpson cut inside off Leon Lloyd's pass, Rowntree was held up just short and when Jamie Hamilton moved the ball wide, Tuilagi was in support to crash home off Glenn Gelderbloom's pass.

The manner of victory would not have pleased Richards, coming off the back of a dismal performance at Wasps and with a Heineken Cup semi-final against Llanelli to follow at the end of the month.

But, as Martin Johnson lifted the Zurich Premiership trophy, it mattered little to another capacity crowd.

Stimpson opened the scoring with a second-minute penalty, and though Wilkinson soon levelled, the Tigers were back in front shortly afterwards when their full-back slotted home his second kick.

At that point, Leicester were in command. Stimpson was unlucky to see his speculative kick beyond the Newcastle defence bounce kindly for Jon Dunbar, who did well to ensure the ball rolled out on the right side for the visitors as the home attack pounced.

Then, Liam Botham hauled down Steve Booth just short after the former rugby league wingman sprinted onto Leon Lloyd's grubber kick as Leicester produced a planned blind-side move.

Stimpson's third penalty pushed Leicester further clear and it seemed only a matter of time before the floodgates opened.

Instead, Newcastle rallied. Wilkinson was his usual defensive battering ram, with Epi Taione rampaging through the Leicester ranks at leisure.

Wilkinson reduced the gap with his second penalty, then levelled a minute before half-time with a superb kick from seven metres inside his own half.

Leicester huffed and puffed but couldn't break through, although a Richard Arnold stoppage-time offence in back play was spotted by a touch-judge and Stimpson gave the home side a narrow interval lead.

Wilkinson, though, erased that advantage a minute after the re-start and also missed an opportunity to put his team in front for the first time after Martin Johnson had been penalised for standing on Hall Charlton.

That offence brought Falcons coach Rob Andrew to the touchline, disgusted that the yellow card which had been brandished at his player had not been brought out for the England captain.

Jon Dunbar's failure to roll away from a ruck gave Stimpson a chance to put Leicester ahead once more, but the England man inexplicably failed from in front of the posts after an hour when Newcastle had been penalised for offside.

That brought the mass introduction of Healey, Graham and West. Back had already been brought on for the injured Lewis Moody, with Kay following shortly afterwards.

It was a sign of Leicester flexing their formidable muscle, although Newcastle had some big names to bring on too in Va'aiga Tuigamala and Pat Lam.

But Andrew's midweek comments came back to haunt him as Healey and Rowntree were both involved in the move which eventually saw Tuilagi take Glenn Gelderbloom's pass to charge in at the corner.

Stimpson missed the conversion, and a subsequent penalty which would have made the game safe.

But Wilkinson's double failure at the other end could prove far more costly in the long run, denying his team a vital bonus point in the chase for Europe.

Teams:

Leicester Stimpson, Booth, Lloyd, Kafer, Tuilagi, Goode, Ellis, Freshwater, Cockerill, Garforth, M. Johnson, Short, Corry, Moody, Balding.

Replacements: Gelderbloom for Kafer (52), Healey for Goode (60), Hamilton for Ellis (56), Rowntree for Freshwater (59), West for Cockerill (59), Kay for Short (70), Back for Moody (52).

Tries: Tuilagi.

Pens: Stimpson 5.

Newcastle: Botham, Stephenson, Noon, May, MacLure, Wilkinson, Charlton, Ward, Brotherstone, Hurter, Vyvyan, Grimes, Taione, Arnold, Dunbar.

Replacements: Tuigamala for MacLure (63),Armstrong for Charlton (75), Peel for Hurter (70), Devonshire for Arnold (70), Lam for Dunbar (65).

Not Used: Thompson, Hamilton.

Sin Bin: Arnold (40).

Pens: Wilkinson 4.

Att: 16,250

Ref: Roy Maybank (RFU).