Premiership: Newcastle Falcons 22-39 Wasps
- Published
Aviva Premiership |
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Newcastle (3) 22 |
Tries: Matavesi, Kibirige, Olmstead Cons: Willis 2 Pens: Takulua |
Wasps (19) 39 |
Tries: Cruse, Daly, Cipriani, Bassett, Gopperth, Le Roux Cons: Cipriani, Daly, Gopperth Pens: Gopperth |
Wasps secured third place in the Premiership as they ran in six tries to earn a bonus-point victory over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.
Tom Cruse, Elliot Daly, Danny Cipriani, Josh Bassett, Jimmy Gopperth and Willie Le Roux all crossed the whitewash to secure a semi-final trip to reigning European champions Saracens on 19 May.
Josh Matavesi, Zach Kibirige, Evan Olmstead all crossed for the hosts.
They all came following the break after Sonatane Takulua's first-half penalty.
But, despite the hosts' two late tries to put some gloss on the final scoreline, they were well beaten, Cipriani, Daly and Gopperth, who also added a late penalty, each kicking a conversion.
Injury-hit Newcastle, who were forced to make eight changes, will now play league leaders Exeter in the other semi-final at Sandy Park, also on 19 May.
The Falcons had already secured their highest finish since the play-offs were introduced, but they now go into the meeting with the champions on the back of their first home league defeat since November.
Newcastle director of rugby Dean Richards:
"They have some gifted players, but we did give them lots of time and space to do what they did. When we decided to play, we got back to nearly within a score.
"When you're pushing it and chasing the game, that's when turnovers happen and it was a killer blow.
"The options going into the semi-final at Exeter will be totally different for us. The lads are not happy with this result and we will learn from it.
"We have two weeks to come up with a plan to beat Exeter down there. We know we're capable of winning away from home, but we do know they will be difficult to beat down there."
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young:
"We aren't going to win at Saracens with a 60-minute performance like that. We will have to be at our best at Allianz Park.
"We played really well for those 60 minutes, we were very good but then we were fairly loose and we have lost a lot of games late on. It is our Achilles heel.
"I believe we can play for 80 minutes like we did for those 60 minutes and we will have to do that against Saracens.
"We were pretty casual in those last 20 minutes. We have to stop just chucking the ball over our shoulders."
Newcastle: Hammersley; Tait, Harris, JP Socino, Kibirige; Matavesi, Takulua; Vickers, Lawson, Davison, Olmstead, Witty, Wilson (capt), Graham, Hogg.
Replacements: S Socino, Lockwood, Wilson, Young, Latu, Stuart, Willis, Penny.
Wasps: Le Roux; Bassett, Lovobalavu, Eastmond, Daly; Cipriani, Simpson; Harris, Cruse, Moore, Launchbury (capt), Myall, Haskell, Young, Willis.
Replacements: Taylor, Mullan, Stuart, Rowlands, Thompson, Robson, Gopperth, De Jongh.
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