Wasps find their sting

Wasps put their struggling start to the season behind them with a 26-13 EDF Cup victory over Newcastle at Kingston Park.

There was further bad news for the beaten Falcons as England centre Jamie Noon was carried off in the first half with his neck in a brace.

RFU director of rugby Rob Andrew watched from the stand and saw Wasps fly-half Danny Cipriani in action.

It was not vintage Cipriani as he missed two relatively easy first-half kicks but he did manufacture a crucial second-half try for Tom Voyce.

Newcastle's pack caught Wasps on the hop at the first scrum and when they stood up as the Falcons put on the drive, it led to a second-minute penalty for Rory Clegg.

There was a long delay for treatment to England centre Noon in the eighth minute after a double tackle by Josh Lewsey and Jeremy Staunton and Noon was eventually stretchered off and replaced by Tom Dillon.

Newcastle's lead disappeared in the 12th minute when Brent Wilson fell off Lewsey and Paul Sackey had the easiest of run-ins for the try for a 5-3 lead before Cipriani made a mess of the conversion.

Newcastle were certainly not overawed and youngsters Clegg and Dillon combined to take the Falcons into the Wasps half.

When Lewsey stepped offside, Clegg kicked a 27th-minute penalty to put his side back in front at 6-5.

Cipriani missed another relatively simple kick at goal six minutes from half-time but Wasps went into the break leading 12-6 after Tom Rees burrowed his way over after successive drives on the Newcastle line and this time Cipriani kicked the conversion.

Magic

He then produced a moment of magic when Newcastle were penalised for a high tackle.

Cipriani immediately fired a high kick to the left corner where the ball bounced off Ollie Phillips and into the grateful arms of Voyce for a try which Cipriani converted from the touchline.

Newcastle had the better of the closing stages, with Tom May going over in the corner but brought back for a foot in touch before Mick Young's dart opened the way for Rob Vickers to crash over and Clegg's conversion put the hosts back in the match at 19-13 with eight minutes left.

But Joe Simpson killed the game off two minutes from time with a surging run that claimed the bonus point on a good night for the English champions.