Substitute scrum-half Peter Richards put a huge dampener on Newcastle's World
Cup celebrations with a late match-winning try at Kingston Park.
On the day Jonny Wilkinson showed off the Webb Ellis Trophy to his adoring
Newcastle fans, the boot of his understudy Dave Walder looked to have won the
match for the Falcons when his 65th-minute penalty gave his side a 17-16 lead.
But a breakaway handling move by Tom Voyce and Fraser Waters took Wasps deep
into Newcastle territory and Richards shot away from a ruck to grab the
all-important try on 78 minutes.
The Falcons, who had fought back from 13-0 down, attacked furiously throughout
the eight minutes of stoppage-time but Wasps' magnificent defence held firm to
earn the champions a seventh win from 11 Premiership outings.
Wasps had first use of the stiff breeze and they were quick to make it pay,
scoring two tries in the first 16 minutes.
Newcastle were forced onto the defensive from the deep kick-off and skipper
Rob Howley worked an overlap for right winger Voyce to go over for the game's
first try inside three minutes.
Kenny Logan then marked his return from World Cup duty by running back
Walder's attempted clearance kick and, after Stuart Abbott had hacked the ball
on, the Scotland winger was on hand to gain the vital touch for the second try.
Mark Van Gisbergen, whose switch from fly-half to full-back added a new
cutting edge to the Wasps attack, missed with his first three kicks at goal but
eventually found the target with two penalties to make it 16-7 at half-time.
Even the sure-booted Wilkinson might have struggled in the difficult
conditions and he would have had some sympathy when Walder put a
straight-forward penalty wide of the target on 13 minutes.
But he superbly converted full-back Ben Gollings' 26th-minute try, carved out
by a run from winger Tom May after flanker Epi Taione had come up with a
one-handed, overhead pass.
Wasps' nine-point interval lead looked inadequate as Walder and Gollings
produced some mammoth touch-finders and, when May crossed from Mark
Mayherhofler's pass on 55 minutes, the game appeared to be turning the Falcons'
way.
Walder's conversion closed the gap to just two points and his penalty put the
home side in front for the first time.
Had the fly-half succeeded with an ambitious penalty from inside his own half,
the win might have been secured but Wasps, who had a second try from Logan ruled
out by the video referee for a knock-on, had one last chance to steal the points
and they took them.
Teams
Newcastle: Gollings, May, Noon, Mayerhofler, Stephenson,
Walder, Charlton, Peel, Thompson, Ward, Archer, Grimes, Taione,
Britz, Vyvyan.
Replacements: Grindal for Charlton (59),
Makin for Thompson (70), Hurter for Ward (62),
Andrews for Archer (64), Dowson for Taione (48).
Not Used: Godman, J. Shaw.
Tries: Gollings, May.
Cons: Walder 2.
Pens: Walder 2.
Wasps: van Gisbergen, Voyce, Waters, Abbott, Logan, A. King,
Howley, Dowd, Leota, W. Green, S. Shaw, Birkett, Worsley,
O'Connor, Lock.
Replacements: Rudd for Logan (55), Richards for Howley (77),
Gotting for Leota (64), Payne for W. Green (64),
Volley for O'Connor (77).
Not Used: Denney, Purdy.
Tries: Voyce, Logan, Richards.
Cons: van Gisbergen.
Pens: van Gisbergen 2.
Att: 10,001
Ref: Steve Leyshon (RFU).
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