Saint-André Hints at Escape Clause in Foden's Deal As Full-back Puts Falcons to Flight

Sale were knocking on the door of a play-off berth last night, putting eight tries past an embarrassingly weak Newcastle side and then claiming that there was a chance of keeping their reluctant full-back Ben Foden, the man of the match, from leaving the club. Foden is expected to join Northampton at the end of the season but Sale's director of rugby, Philippe Saint-André, suggested the contract depended on Jim Mallinder staying at the promotion-winning Midlands club rather than joining Martin Johnson's England setup, as mooted last week.

Saint-André has tried to persuade Foden that he is a potential England full-back and could go on the summer tour to New Zealand. The 22-year-old is convinced his best position is scrum-half and a source close to him said last night that there was a second escape clause in his Saints contract involving a guarantee over what position he would play: "He has signed a full contract with Northampton. It says he will be the scrum-half but if, after 12 months, he is not the scrum-half then he can go."

After scorching performances against Bristol and Wasps, Foden yesterday lit the fires under Sale which led to the seventh consecutive league defeat for Newcastle's acting head coach, Steve Bates, who had gambled by making 12 changes from the side that lost to London Irish last week. With Toby Flood and Mathew Tait nursing sore ankles and Bates deciding against rushing Jonny Wilkinson back after last week's bang to his head, Newcastle fielded a side which the charitable might have called experimental. Others sensed the influence of next Friday's Challenge Cup semi-final at Worcester - their last chance of taking anything from the season.

If it was a gamble rather than a surrender, it failed within 80 seconds. Newcastle had barely got to know one another when they went behind, Charlie Hodgson off-loading to Chris Bell for the center to canter home untouched from 30metres. Five points in less than two minutes became 10 after 10minutes when the Newcastle scrum developed a fault line: the ball squirmed beyond the retreating back row and only Sale's left-wing Selorm Kuadey was there to benefit.

Bell scored his second, stepping against the grain of play to go in under the posts, and the game was almost out of sight before the first meaningful Newcastle attack. Ollie Phillips darted dangerously and the forwards did some huffing and puffing but when the ball broke free Hodgson belted it upfield and Sale were on track for the bonus point which put them above Leicester in the table. Foden and Hodgson almost got through the creaking Newcastle defenses and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe did so, taking the scoring pass from his elder brother Ignacio.

Sean Tomes squirmed over for Newcastle's only try but the floodgates opened in the second half, with Foden's try receiving a particular cheer from fans who have not given up hope that he will be at Edgeley Park next season.

Bates's future at Newcastle depends on current discussions with the owner, Dave Thompson. Yesterday Bates refused to apologize for picking a second XV even though he admitted that most of his "injured" would be "running around tomorrow" and certainly playing on Friday. "We have to understand the context of the season for both clubs and move on," he said. "We have to play three games in a week after Friday so we had to call up these players."

Wilkinson tour doubt

Jonny Wilkinson is likely to miss
England's two-Test tour to New Zealand
this summer because he needs
a shoulder operation. The fly-half
sat out yesterday's defeat at Sale as a
precaution after suffering concussion
against London Irish the previous
week and, although he is likely to
return for the European Challenge
Cup semi-final against Worcester on
Friday, he will have surgery as soon
as the Falcons' European challenge
is over. It is understood that Wilkinson,
28, will have minor surgery to
clear out debris from his shoulder
and, even if Newcastle lose against
Worcester and he has the operation
early next month, it is unlikely that
England will risk taking him on the
demanding tour to New Zealand.

Sale Foden; Kuadey, Bell (Mayor, 70), Thomas, Ripol (Cueto, 51); Hodgson (Cliff, 59), Wigglesworth; Sheridan, Briggs (Lawson, 51), Roberts (Evans, 64), I Fernández Lobbe (capt; Schofield, 72), Cockbain, Cox, Lund (Hills, h-t), J M Fernández Lobbe.

Tries Bell 2, Kuadey, J M Fernández Lobbe 2, Cliff, Foden, Hills. Cons Hodgson 2, Thomas 3. Pen Hodgson.

Newcastle Jones; Phillips, Dillon, Dehaty, Visser; Miller, Dickson (Young, 51); Golding (Williams, 57), Vickers, Wilson, Parling, Tomes, Beattie, Williamson, Winter (capt; Swinson, h-t).

Try Tomes. Con Miller. Pen Miller.

Referee W Barnes (RFU). Attendance 10,134.