Newcastle enjoy winning start in Championship with victory at Bristol

Dean Richards and Newcastle got their Championship campaign off to an efficient if unspectacular start at Bristol on Sunday, proving too strong for fellow promotion candidates missing a raft of key players through pre-season injuries, summer operations or sickness. Newcastle, a blustery wind at their backs, scored first through their centre Tane Tu'ipulotu but then had to weather a 10-minute sticky patch while Bristol edged into a 13-8 lead through a try from the wing Ryan Edwards, put in the clear by the sweetest of passes from the hooker Ross Johnson, and kicks from the fly-half Ryan Edwards. In fact Bristol, who were overwhelming favourites for promotion last season until they ran into Cornish Pirates in the play-off semi-finals, were looking good until a couple of silly penalties allowed Jimmy Gopperth to ease Newcastle back in front before the wing Luke Fielden found himself in the clear for Newcastle's second try. Gopperth converted to make the half-time lead eight points and it would have been more had Tu'ipulotu not ended a sweeping seven-man move with a rush of blood and a pass into the front row of the stand. In the end it did not matter. Gopperth kept the scoreboard ticking over, Fielden got a second try and Ally Hogg scored Newcastle's bonus try to offset Luke Eves's score for the hosts.