Wade equals Ashton with 101st try as Newcastle beat Sale 17-3

On 23 October 2026, Newcastle Red Bulls beat Sale Sharks 17-3 at Kingston Park in a Premiership match, with Christian Wade equalling Chris Ashton’s Premiership try-scoring record by reaching 101 tries. The victory was Newcastle’s first league win of the season.

The game was played on a blustery night and was dominated by kicking, penalties and stubborn defence, producing few clear scoring opportunities. The match was described as far from a thrilling spectacle, yet produced the one milestone Kingston Park wanted.

Scoring was limited to two Newcastle tries and the boot of Hodge; Tries: Wade, McGuigan Cons: Hodge 2 Pen: Hodge. Wade’s finishing and Hodge’s place-kicking supplied the only points for the home side aside from McGuigan’s score.

Wade went over in the right corner nine minutes into the second period, but a second try eluded him in what was otherwise a game of few chances. The score put him level with Ashton on the Premiership try list.

George McGuigan smuggled the ball over at the back of a maul as Newcastle stretched clear, a score that helped secure only a fifth win for the club across four Premiership seasons. That try provided the cushion Newcastle needed in a low-scoring contest.

Newcastle: Hodge; Wade, Harris, Rigg, Kok; Connon, Benitez Cruz; Rakete-Stones, McGuigan, Millar Mills, Usher, Tuima, Hicks, Christie, Sotutu. Replacements: Togiatama, West, Moreno, Baker, Leatherbarrow, Graham, Elliott, Henry.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Marchant, Maasi-White, O'Flaherty; Ford, Hanson; N Smith, Cowan-Dickie, Francis, Van Rhyn, Bamber, Tshiunza, B Curry, T Curry. Replacements: Jibulu, McIntyre, Opoku-Fordjour, Canakaivata, Dugdale, Lozowski, Louw, Reed.

Newcastle coach Dan McFarland will be keen now to build on this first step against a side who had been unbeaten in their previous two league outings and among the names in the title conversation before the start of the season.