Newcastle 35-8 Worcester: Ben Te'o injured in Warriors defeat
Last Updated: 01/09/17 10:44pm
An injury to Ben Te'o capped a bad night for Worcester in their Aviva Premiership opener as Newcastle won 35-8.
The England and British Lions centre was a shock late call-up for the Warriors but his involvement lasted less than half an hour as he left the field with what appeared to be wrist injury.
The Falcons made a flying start and went ahead with an Alex Tait try after only five minutes, converted by Sonatane Takulua.
Tait had gone close seconds earlier following a dangerous crossfield run from Joel Hodgson - and it was Hodgson's pop pass which unleashed the winger to step inside two defenders and score.
Te'o's first touch of the ball was a spilled catch just inside the Falcons 22 but the pressure from Worcester over the next 10 minutes was unrelenting and Newcastle's defence did well to hold on.
Bryce Heem was hauled down close to the line and then the Falcons overturned a Warriors line-out catch and drive in the corner.
It was Newcastle's turn to put a penalty in the corner in the 19th minute and they showed real patience to work an opening - but eventually had to settle for another penalty which Takulua kicked in the 21st minute for a 10-0 lead.
Worcester finally got on the board with a Tom Heathcote penalty in the 28th minute - just after Te'o's departure - and right on half-time, the Newcastle pack folded at a scrum but Heathcote's kick at goal went wide.
The visitors scored a contentious try early in the second half after a dubious penalty gave them a position in the corner and from the line-out drive Josh Adams scored in the corner. The decision came from the TMO after it looked as if Belisario Agulla and Takulua had driven him into touch.
Newcastle were furious and after Heathcote missed the conversion, they scored 10 points in three minutes.
Takulua kicked penalty in the 49th minute to make it 13-8 before Simon Hammersley charged up the Worcester line and the Falcons pack showed great patience to eventually drive Rob Vickers over for a try on his 200th appearance. Takulua converted for a 20-8 lead in the 52nd minute.
Kyle Cooper capped a fine performance at hooker when the pack again drove Worcester back from a line-out drive and he went over in the corner to make 25-8, before Takulua added a 66th-minute penalty.
Worcester threw everything at Newcastle in the closing minutes but the Falcons capped a fine performance with another driving line-out and Juan Pablo Socino powered through for the final try in the 75th minute, which was converted by fellow replacement Craig Willis.
