If talks beforehand had centred on Christian 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, with both sides withstanding pressure in the shadow of their own posts.
The breakthrough came when Newcastle kept hammering away on the left before going through hands out wide to the right, where a grateful Wade was waiting. Josh Hodge added the extras to give Newcastle a 7-3 lead, then extended it to 10-3 with a simple chip over after Sale were penalised again. The next score seemed pivotal, and it was much to the home crowd's relief when a powerful maul allowed Mc Guigan to drop down behind the line just after the hour. Hodge's conversion under the gusting wind made it 17-3 with 12 minutes to go, a result that leaves Harlequins as the only team yet to win a Prem match this season.
Newcastle coach Dan Mc Farland said he was "buzzing about the performance" and praised the physicality and resilience shown, especially after a first half in which his side had too many chances in Sale's 22 without finishing them. He cautioned against overreacting, saying "There is no turning point here - this is a long journey."
On Wade, who equalled the Prem try-scoring record, Mc Farland said, "He knows how to find the tryline, which is what all good wingers do." He added, "He is a tremendous guy and he deserves it."
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing