Mark Wilson swoops for Newcastle in thrilling last-gasp victory at Bath

Just when it appeared as if stunning individual tries from the England outcasts Semesa Rokoduguni and Jonathan Joseph would prove enough to complete a Bath comeback, up cropped Mark Wilson – another overlooked by Eddie Jones – to clinch what was in effect the match-winning score for Newcastle.

Joel Hodgson still had to convert but it was Wilson’s close-range effort four minutes from time that allowed the replacement fly-half to kick Newcastle to a third away win in a row and into the top four. It had appeared as if they would have to settle for two losing bonus points, despite having led 19-0 at one stage, but a late siege finally found the necessary crack in Bath’s defence.

It was a bizarre match, truth be told, with Newcastle scoring 19 unanswered points in the first 20 minutes, Bath hitting back to lead 32-19 before the Falcons came again with two converted tries. Rokoduguni’s trademark individual score early in the second half had brought his side back to within a point and when Charlie Ewels and Joseph went over, it appeared Newcastle were done for. Back they came though with tries from Chris Harris and Wilson, who won his first England cap in Argentina this summer but was left out of Jones’ 33-man training squad on Friday, to make Bath pay for their laborious start.

“It was really obvious that we just weren’t there mentally. To allow three tries in the first 20 minutes when we knew they were a good side, just wasn’t good enough,” said Bath’s director of rugby, Todd Blackadder. “We had the game in the bag and continued to play and make errors, it’s just really disappointing. It’s just not good enough. You’ve got to be at the races or you get put away. If it takes a rocket to get back in the game at half-time then it shows that it’s mental.”

Newcastle were beaten 59-5 at a similar time of year here last season and begun with a determination to make amends. By the end of the first quarter they had three tries – each a reward for their dominance of territory and, in particular, possession. The first came when the barrelling hooker, Santiago Socino, burst through Elliott Stooke’s tackle and offloaded to his scrum-half, Sonatane Takulua, who finished off and converted his own try. Rhys Priestland put the restart out on the full and Bath did not get the ball back again until he was required to have another go – Rob Vickers burrowing over from close range.

Newcastle were winning the collisions, making inroads right up the guts. Joseph slipped off Simon Hammersley far too easily in midfield and from the subsequent ruck, a delicious grubber from the Newcastle No10, Craig Willis, was perfectly waited for DTH van der Merwe to score on his Falcons debut in the right-hand corner.

After a wretched start, Bath stirred and were on the board when Matt Banahan, a makeshift full-back after Freddie Burns was a late withdrawal with a dead leg, splashed over. It was a foothold for Bath, nothing more as their misfiring lineout would attest.

Two Priestland penalties chipped away at Newcastle’s lead and then Rokoduguni picked up the loose ball after Niki Goneva had fumbled, arced his way out to the right touchline and scorched down it. Ewels then put Bath ahead for the first time – Joseph almost getting over but having the wherewithal to find his flanker in support. A six-point lead for Bath and they could breathe a bit easier when Joseph set off from the halfway line and danced his way over after Francois Louw’s dirty work at the breakdown.

However, Bath went to pieces defensively. First, Harris cruised over and Newcastle could smell blood – Wilson and Hodgson provided the final word to put the Falcons back on track after defeat by Saracens in America last Saturday.

“I knew that coming back from Philadelphia the boys were a tight-knit group. We were disappointed with the result over there. We felt we had a point to prove and the first 25 minutes showed that,” said Newcastle’s director of rugby, Dean Richards.

“The character is there. I knew that they’ll fight for each other, which is ultimately what happened.”