Andrew savours cup triumph

Newcastle director of rugby Rob Andrew celebrated his first Tetley's Bitter Cup final win as either player or coach.  

Newcastle snatched a dramatic 30-27 victory thanks to tries from Jim Jenner and a Dave Walder effort in the fourth minute of injury-time.

It was an amazing win after they had trailed by nine points with just four minutes remaining.

Andrew admitted: "I thought we had lost.

"I was thinking of how to say we had played well. When Burke scored I thought that was it.

"But we said at half-time we had to keep playing because they would tire and we would get stronger.

"That has proved the difference and we have been part of something very special."

Tom May's brace either side of the interval gave Newcastle a 4-2 victory on the try count but a rare failure with the boot from Jonny Wilkinson appeared to have cost his side their chance.

Wilkinson landed just four kicks from eight attempts, in contrast to Burke, whose five penalties and conversion to hiss own try gave him 22 points - an individual scoring record for the final, in front of 71,000 supporters.

Samoan winger Va'aiga Tuigamala took the man of the match award with a typically robust display, although he will now enter hospital for surgery on a long-standing knee injury.

"It is about time he played well," joked Andrew. "We are going to put him in hospital for a rest on Monday.

"Inga is an inspiration to us, his performance proved how much the club means to him and the rest of the players."

"It is the best final I have ever been involved in," added Tuigamala, a loser with Newcastle against Wasps in 1998.

"The scenes at the final whistle will live long in my memory.

"Things haven't always gone our way but this is a reward for the effort the youngsters have put in."