Newcastle hit by Wilkinson blow

Newcastle were tonight counting the cost of a damaging trip to Perpignan that has rocked their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes.

Although the Falcons remain in control as Pool Five leaders, a 33-12 defeat at Stade Aime Giral means they must beat Kingston Park visitors Newport Gwent Dragons next Sunday to reach the knockout stages.

But they look certain to face a fired-up Dragons outfit without England backs Jonny Wilkinson and Jamie Noon.

Fly-half Wilkinson limped off with a knee problem after kicking all the Falcons’ points, while centre Noon suffered suspected concussion. In addition, their fellow key backs Matt Burke and Dave Walder missed the Perpignan clash through injury.

“The injuries are very disappointing, and so is the result,” said Newcastle rugby director Rob Andrew.

“But we just have to move on, and we know we have to win next week at home to qualify for the quarter-finals.

“Perpignan overpowered us up front, and the injuries disrupted our organisational play. The game slipped away from us after the injuries to Jonny and Jamie.”

Perpignan, whose last game is away against already-eliminated Edinburgh, can also win the group, but a defeat in Scotland would send the Dragons through if they triumph on Tyneside.

And it promises to be a feisty affair, with the Dragons wound up by reportedly critical remarks made about them by Andrew following Newcastle’s narrow win in Newport last October.

“Rob Andrew’s comments were arrogant in a way,” said Dragons flanker Jamie Ringer, after a 48-5 romp against Edinburgh at Rodney Parade that included try doubles for wing Gareth Wyatt and captain Jason Forster.

“You win and lose games, and it is important to react in the same way in both scenarios. That sort of thing could come back and bite him on the backside, couldn’t it?

“Fozzie (Jason Forster) keeps reminding us of what Andrew said. He won’t let us forget it.

“When a team comes and does a job on you in your own back yard and then say a few things about you, it’s got to be good for us going up there (Kingston Park), and we have to use that in a good way.

“Not that it is a huge thing, but it is nice to be gracious at times, isn’t it? But Rob Andrew said a few things about us after they beat us at Rodney Parade, and then they shot off without accepting our hospitality off the field.

“I am not trying to make a big thing of it, but he said a few things, and without going into too much detail, the boys have not forgotten about it – let’s put it that way.”

Bath made an heroic exit from this season’s tournament, defying an injury crisis that meant they started with a 19-year-old hooker and played the entire second half with flanker Michal Lipman on the wing, to almost destroy Leinster’s 100% Pool Two record.

Tries in the final three minutes from fly-half David Holwell and lock Malcolm O’Kelly gave Leinster a thrilling 27-23 success and ensured their quarter-final passage.

But Bath coach John Connolly said: “I would be surprised if Leinster went on to win the Heineken Cup. I think teams will take it to them in the forwards and find them out.

“They have wonderful backs, but they have to get parity at the scrum and lineout if they are to get them to function.

“They are certainly going to be in the mix, especially with players like Brian O’Driscoll and six potential Lions tourists in their ranks, but they have still got some work to do.”

Leinster’s fellow Irish challengers Munster moved to within one victory of the quarter-finals – they play hapless Harlequins at Twickenham next Saturday – by defeating Neath-Swansea Ospreys 20-10 in Limerick.

First-half tries by Anthony Foley and Christian Cullen grounded the visitors, although Ospreys’ Welsh international centre Gavin Henson claimed: “We felt that we were the better team.

“Munster had their spell of 10-15 minutes at the end of the first half, and that was the winning of the game, but we are very disappointed to be out.”