Newcastle 19 Bath 17 NEWCASTLE HAVE yet to reveal the form they produced when stampeding

Newcastle 19 Bath 17

NEWCASTLE HAVE yet to reveal the form they produced when stampeding to the Allied Dunbar Premiership title last May. Their ageing scrum disports little of the threatening hostility of a season ago, nor will it while they have two loose-heads in a disjointed front-row which badly needs the reinforcement of Western Province tight-head Marius Hurter, who arrives next month.
In the meantime they will be thankful to hang on as they did against an unconvincing Bath at Gateshead on Saturday, where Jonny Wilkinson kicked Newcastle to victory.Bath will regret that they were unable to win for the second Saturday in succession, and leave Newcastle picking over the remains of two defeats in as many weeks. They pounced on every Wasps error (and there were plenty of those throughout) and showed more enterprise and power, outscoring Wasps three tries to two.Wasps: Tries: Logan, Volley; Conversions: Logan; Penalties: G Rees, Logan. Swansea: Tries: R Rees, Moriarty, Taylor; Conversions: L Davies 2; Penalties: L Davies 3.Wasps: J Lewsey; S Roiser, L Scrase, R Henderson, K Logan; G Rees (M Wood, 52), A Gomarsall (N Greenstock, 66); D Molloy, D Macer (A Le Chevalier, 77), W Green (A Black, 80), M Weedon (capt), A Reed (S Shaw, 41), E Rollitt (S Tatupu, 41), J Worsley, P Volley.Swansea: A Lawson; R Rees, M Taylor, M Back, S Davies; L Davies, A Booth (capt); D Morris, G Jenkins, B Evans, A Moore, T Maullin (P Arnold, 77), P Moriarty (L Jones, 73), C Charvis, D Thomas.Referee: D Price (Caerphilly; not WRU)..

As he went off on a stretcher any hopes Wasps had of winning went with him.There was a major reshuffle of resources and positional switches which saw Scotland international wing Kenny Logan, who took over the goal-kicking duties like a veteran, landing a penalty and converting flanker Paul Volley’s late try off the back of a scrum, moving to fullback. But as hard as they tried, the tactical nous and organisational skills of Rees were sorely missed.There was plenty of evidence that this was anything but a friendly with tons of testosterone tanglings among the forwards to liven up a particularly poor first half. Their fly-half and goal-kicker Gareth Rees was knocked out early in the second half and spent last night in hospital for tests and observation.The Canadian captain, who led his country in the recent World Cup qualifying matches and has scored more than 550 points for Wasps in just over two seasons, will be out of action for at least three weeks after running into Swansea’s Wales international back row forward Colin Charvis. Referee David Price, who is not on the Welsh Rugby Union books, had his time taken up with talking and whistling rather than being able to concentrate on maintaining the flow of play.A Logan try and Rees penalty had been countered by two penalties from fly-half Lee Davies before the interval, when Swansea were still getting their act together, but once the reigning Welsh League champions picked up the pace of the game they were away. The so-called friendly Anglo-Welsh clash which neither the Welsh nor the English rugby unions care to sanction served up a cruel blow to the London side.

Wasps 18

Swansea 28
WASPS’ LUCK continues to desert them. Saracens: Try Daniel; Conversion Johnson; Penalties Johnson 4.Cardiff: J Thomas; L Botham, L Davies, M Wintle, S Hill; L Jarvis, R Howley (capt); A Lewis, J Humphreys, S John (L Mustoe, 46), K Stewart, J Tait (D Jones, 75), O Williams, G Kacala, D Baugh.Saracens: G Johnson; M Singer, R Constable, J Thomson, B Daniel; A Penaud, K Bracken (M Powell, 71); R Grau (A Olver, 79), G Chuter, P Wallace, C Yandell (B Cole, 76), D Grewcock, T Coker, A Diprose (capt), R Hill.Referee: A Ware (Pontypridd).. Fact.”Our backers will support us as long as there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but they won’t support mediocrity. I’m not at all convinced that there is a genuine will to set up a British league with the right degree of club influence in its organisation and administration; in fact, this working party business smells of a political sop, another stalling exercise But we live in hope. This, at least, was a special day.”Cardiff: Tries Howley, Wintle, Hill; Conversions Jarvis 2; Penalties Jarvis 6; Drop goal Jarvis.