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Last Updated: Sunday, 2 October 2005, 15:13 GMT 16:13 UK

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Newcastle 34-9 Sale

POWERGEN CUP

Jonny Wilkinson converts Matt Burke's second try

Newcastle 34 (17)
Tries: Tait, Charlton 2, Burke 2
Cons: Flood, Burke, Wilkinson
Pen: Burke

Sale 9 (9)
Pens: Larrechea

Att: 4,917

Jonny Wilkinson made a successful return to action as Newcastle began their Powergen Cup campaign with a five-try victory at Kingston Park.

The England fly-half came off the bench after 54 minutes and made an immediate impact, sending Matt Burke over for a try and kicking the conversion.

It was Burke's second of the match with Hall Charlton also bagging a brace.

Mathew Tait scored Newcastle's opener but Sale, 17-9 adrift at half-time, failed to score after the break.

Tait and 20-year old fly-half Toby Flood both turned in eye-catching performances against a largely second string Sharks side.

Tait burned off Steve Hanley to round off a sublime first try after just three minutes after Flood had released Burke with an inch-perfect cut-out pass.

A close-range score from scrum-half Charlton swiftly followed before the first of three Daniel Larrachea penalties for Sale pegged it back to 14-3.

The Frenchman added two more to cut the deficit to five after 34 minutes before Burke landed one before the interval after more good work from Tait and Flood.

The tide turned dramatically in Newcastle's favour early in the second half when Sale lost both John Carter and Nathan Bonner Evans to the sin-bin within two minutes of each other.

Newcastle took advantage with Burke scoring in the corner following a scrum before the introduction of Wilkinson.

The World Cup hero, recovered from having his appendix removed, marked his entry with a thunderous 45m clearance with his first touch.

A trademark miss-pass then sent Burke clear again, before Charlton's late try added further gloss to the scoreline.

Newcastle director of rugby Rob Andrew:
"It's taken eight or nine months to put Mathew Tait back together and we're just about getting back to where he was.

"He's an immense talent - lots of these young kids are.

"But he's only 19 and these young players go through ups and downs for several years until they reach a point - like we've seen with Jamie Noon and Jonny Wilkinson where you know what you're going to get week in and week out."

Newcastle: Burk; Elliot, Noon, Mayerhofler, Tait; Flood Charlton; Wilson, Thompson, Paoletti; Perry, Parling; Finegan, Harris, Charvis.
Replacements: J. Wilkinson for Mayerhofler (57), Dickson for Charlton (79), Ward for Wilson (40), Long for Thompson (57), Morris for Paoletti (40), Gross for Perry (73), McCarthy for Finegan (79).

Sale: Hanley; Wakley, Seveali'i, Todd, Ripol; Larrechea, Martens; Faure, Titterrell, Coutts; Lobbe, Day; Anglesea, Carter, Bonner-Evans.
Replacements: Courrent for Hanley (73), Stewart for Coutts (61), Schofield for Day (40).
Not Used: Turner, Lund, Foden, Duffy.

Sin Bin: Carter (52), Bonner-Evans (56).

Ref: Sean Davey (RFU).

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