Wilkinson leaves Melville depressed

Newcastle 24 Wasps

Nigel Melville will not be staging an inquest after his team crashed to an extraordinary, stoppage-time defeat by the cup holders; more likely Wasps' beleaguered director of rugby will organise a wake. Coming at the end of a dreadful week for the club, when Warren Gatland asked for more time to consider an offer to join Melville as his forwards' coach, and looks unlikely to do so, they were told they will be obliged to relocate when Fulham take up residence at Loftus Road.

It doesn't help that Wasps are propping up the table with only three Premiership wins, and just one in the Heineken Cup, but they looked to have turned the corner when Kenny Logan struck a tremendous penalty in the fourth minute of injury time, to snatch back the lead which Newcastle had taken six minutes earlier.

Logan's kick from five metres inside his own half was the stuff of dreams to win a match as tight as this. But with a minute of added time still on the clock, Newcastle worked their way towards Wasps' 22 for Jonny Wilkinson to let fly with his right foot from 35 metres for the drop goal which did win as dramatic a game as could be imagined.

"We lost both our half-backs, scored two tries-to-nil, but kept giving them penalties; and Wilkinson is a world-class kicker," said Melville. "In some ways it's the story of our season. I'd rather get hammered than lose like that."

Having kicked seven penalties to keep the Falcons flying, after overwhelming evidence that Wasps were by far the better side, Wilkinson added to the legend, while proving himself a compelling match-winner.

It looked all over for Newcastle as early as the second minute after the break, when Alex King put Joe Worsley across for a soft try to take the score to 16-3. King had dropped a goal and kicked a penalty before the interval, though he failed with the conversion of Fraser Waters' try in the 20th minute. All Newcastle had to show for a barren half, in which their pack all-but disintegrated, was a solitary Wilkinson penalty from three attempts.

After Worsley's show it was all Wilkinson; with but the briefest of interventions from Logan. It took Newcastle until the 77th minute to nose ahead. Logan did his best to deny them, but Wilkinson wouldn't have it.

Newcastle: Penalties Wilkinson 7; Drop Goal Wilkinson; Wasps: Tries Waters, Worsley; Penalties King, Logan 2; Drop Goal King.

Newcastle: D Walder; M Stephenson, J Noon, T May, V Tuigamala; J Wilkinson, G Armstrong; M Ward (I Peel, 68), N Makin (C Balshen, 73), M Hurter, H Vyvyan, S Grimes, E Taione, J Dunbar (R Arnold h-t), P Lam (capt).

Wasps: J Lewsey; F Waters, S Abbott (M Roberts, 80), M Denney (capt), K Logan; A King (M Leek, 46), M Friday (M Wood, 60); C Dowd, T Leota, W Green, J Beardshaw, I Jones, J Worsley, P Volley, M Lock (R Jenkins, 68).

Referee: R Maybank (Orpington).