The Prem

Newcastle (0) 17

Tries: Wade, McGuigan Cons: Hodge 2 Pen: Hodge

Sale (3) 3

Pen: Ford

Christian Wade equalled Chris Ashton’s Prem try-scoring record with a 101st score as Newcastle Red Bulls posted their first league win of their season against Sale Sharks.

On a blustery night dominated by kicking, penalties and stubborn defence, the match delivered a 17-3 win for the hosts and the try that Kingston Park wanted, with Wade going over in the right corner to draw level with Ashton nine minutes into the second period.

While a second eluded Wade in a game of few chances, George McGuigan managed to smuggle the ball over at the back of a maul as Newcastle stretched clear to post only a fifth win in four Prem seasons.

Despite Wade’s milestone, the match was far from a thrilling spectacle.

However, Newcastle coach Dan McFarland will be keen now to build on this first step against a side who had been unbeaten in their previous two league outings and among the names in the title conversation before the start of the season.

If talks beforehand had centred on Wade’s potential march into the record books, it was typical that there were barely any chances for anyone in the first half.

Almost half an hour passed without Wade even touching the ball, a period during which England fly-half George Ford kicked a penalty for the visitors for the only points before half-time.

It was scrappy and narrow in difficult, gusty conditions which invited a high-kicking game early from both sides – yet there was something for defensive purists to cling to, with both sides withstanding pressure in the shadow of their own posts.

Both teams had also turned down the chance for long penalties and after one too many Sale transgressions for using hands on the ground, Newcastle again elected for Brett Connon to kick towards the corner, not the posts, from 40 metres out.

It was that decision that finally delivered the platform for Newcastle to first hammer away on the left then eventually go through hands out wide right to where a grateful Wade was waiting.

Josh Hodge added the extras to give Newcastle a 7-3 lead and he extended that to 10-3 with a simple close chip over after Sale were again penalised, this time for entering from the side.

From there, the next score seemed pivotal and it was much to the home crowd’s relief when a rumbling, powerful maul allowed ball-carrier McGuigan to drop down behind the line just after the hour.

Hodge’s left foot fired a low conversion under the gusting wind to increase the advantage to 17-3 with 12 minutes to go to secure the win – a result that leaves Harlequins as the only team yet to win a match in the Prem this season.

Newcastle: Hodge; Wade, Harris, Rigg, Kok; Connon, Benitez Cruz; Rakete-Stones, McGuigan, Millar Mills, Usher, Tuima, Hicks, Christie, Sotutu.

Replacements: Togiatama, West, Moreno, Baker, Leatherbarrow, Graham, Elliott, Henry.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Marchant, Maasi-White, O’Flaherty; Ford, Hanson; N Smith, Cowan-Dickie, Francis, Van Rhyn, Bamber, Tshiunza, B Curry, T Curry.

Replacements: Jibulu, McIntyre, Opoku-Fordjour, Canakaivata, Dugdale, Lozowski, Louw, Reed.

Referee: Matthew Carley.