Wasps battle back from 12-point deficit to edge out Newcastle
Brad Shields and Tom West scored second-half tries as Wasps came from behind to claimed a 20-18 win at Newcastle.
Trailing by 12 points at the interval, the visitors scored 14 unanswered points to condemn Newcastle to their third successive defeat.
The Falcons led 18-6 at the break thanks to tries from lock Marco Fuser and centre George Wacokecoke but they were perhaps fortunate to keep 14 men on the field after it appeared winger Mateo Carreras made contact with Josh Bassett’s eye.
However, two yellow cards in quick succession for Newcastle duo Greg Peterson and Michael Young in the second half opened the door for Wasps and tries from Shields and West clinched it.
The Falcons went ahead after just three minutes as Joel Hodgson, making his first appearance in six weeks, put over a simple penalty after Wasps collapsed a scrum.
Former Falcons playmaker Jimmy Gopperth levelled the game after 10 minutes with a simple penalty of his own for Wasps, who had most of the possession but struggled to do much with it.
The first try came after 14 minutes and it was the home side who went ahead through Fuser, who touched down following a catch and drive from a lineout.
Hodgson added the extras and then a penalty midway through the half to extend Newcastle’s lead to 13-3.
Wasps were held up over the line with Bassett smothered in the tackle by Carreras and Tom Penny, with the TV cameras picking up a potential eye gouge.
Gopperth added his second penalty of the day but Newcastle scored again before half-time when an errant Gopperth pass was intercepted by Penny and the full-back raced down the right touchline, stepped inside and released centre Wacokecoke to score.
Wasps hit back in the second half when former England flanker Shields dived over from a metre out after a barrage of pressure eventually told.
The introduction of Alife Barbeary also made a difference, with the number eight carrying hard and breaking tackles throughout the second half, while Wasps captain Joe Launchbury also impressed in his first game of the season.
The hosts began to feel the pressure when Peterson and Young were sin-binned for penalties on their own line.
Incessant pressure from the visitors, with their two-man advantage, eventually told after 63 minutes with prop West going over from close range. Gopperth added the extras to put Wasps ahead for the first time in the game.
Newcastle were never able to get going in the second half, as ferocious pressure from the Wasps line forced them into errors, and the visitors saw it out comfortably late on.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments