JONNY Wilkinson is back. The drama could not have been scripted better as in his first full game since his latest injury, England's World Cup hero scored the winning try for Newcastle with a minute of injury time left.

Receiving the ball from a ruck near the line, Wilkinson darted past his England deputy, Charlie Hodgson, to go under the posts and add the conversion for a thrilling one-point win.

After going on from the bench for the last three games, Wilkinson's first start had been billed as a showdown with Hodgson and his try ensured that he came out on top.

Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "It's fantastic for Jonny to get through 80 minutes like that.

"Given how long he has been out some of the judgements about him have been way off the mark.

"We had to let him find his feet again, which is why he has been on the bench for three weeks. We always knew our first three games of the New Year, against Sale, Perpignan and Newport, would be enough to get him ready for the Six Nations Championship.

"In my opinion he completely outplayed Charlie Hodgson today. Not that that is what he was interested in - he just wants to do his best for the team."

The victory lifted the Falcons into fourth place, but Andew said: "I'm not interested in the table. We have said most of the teams above us have to come here in the second half of the season, and if we can win those games we will finish in the top four.

"But for the moment we are just thinking about Perpignan next Saturday. It's the biggest game in the club's history."

It would not be too fanciful to imagine all three of Newcastle's midfield backs yesterday playing together for England, if not this season then possibly next.

The try scored by 18-year-old Mathew Tait was as good as anything you might wish to see until Jason Robinson upstaged it two minutes later in front of a capacity crowd of 10,000 at Kingston Park.

Fellow centre Jamie Noon also scored as the Falcons took a 20-19 lead at half-time, both tries stemming from flat passes by Wilkinson, which put the scorers into space.

It has been suggested that Wilkinson will play at inside centre for England to allow Hodgson to stay at fly half after his success in the Autumn internationals.

In goal-kicking terms there was little to choose between them as there was no sign of the nerves Hodgson showed against Australia.

Undeterred by a cross-wind, he landed one penalty from two metres inside his own half and another from three metres closer in the first half.

Wilkinson judged the wind perfectly to convert both the Falcons' first half tries from wide on the left, but surprisingly missed a 45-metre penalty shortly after the break.

The only blot on Hodgson's copybook was a kick straight to touch from outside his 22, while Wilkinson was once guilty of surrendering possession when trying to offload in the tackle after Newcastle had recycled the ball ten times in the Sale 22.

He also sent a poor kick straight down Robinson's throat and was lucky that the full back spilt it in the swirling breeze.

Otherwise, in his first full game since mid-October, Wilkinson barely put a foot wrong in another enthralling encounter between these two attack-minded sides, who contested the cup final at Twickenham last May.

All three of Newcastle's tries edged them in front, otherwise they were mostly behind after the first of Hodgson's five penalties put Sale ahead after two minutes.

The Falcons had the better of the next 15 minutes, but had only a simple Wilkinson penalty to show for it.

First their long bout of recycling came to nothing, then a break by Hall Charlton, supported by Tom May, ended with impressive young lock Andy Buist being penalised for taking a player out on a dummy run.

After 20 minutes the game really sprang into life. Hodgson kicked his mammoth penalty and on the restart Wilkinson's long pass gave Tait sight of the sort of gap he needs no second invitation to exploit.

From halfway he surged diagonally left, with winger Michael Stephenson going inside him. Tait feigned to switch direction to link with the winger, but then went wide again, going round Joss Baxendell and bouncing off Robinson to score in the corner.

Hodgson kicked another penalty on the restart, then came Robinson's sensational try. Given half a yard of space on halfway, his dazzling, dancing feet took him past three players up the left before he stepped inside and rounded Dave Walder to score by the posts.

Wilkinson kicked another penalty and the Falcons were back in front on the half hour when Colin Charvis charged down a clearance to earn a five-metre scrum, from which the excellent Noon took Wilkinson's short pass to burst through and score.

Hodgson's second huge penalty completed the first half scoring and Sale were back in front six minutes after the break when the fly half slipped the ball back inside following a ruck near the posts for Robinson to jink past Andy Long and Noon for his second try.

Hodgson's fifth penalty on the hour made it 29-20, but Newcastle had the gap down to one score when Wilkinson struck his third after 71 minutes.

Seven minutes later he spurned the chance to go for goal again and put the ball into touch in the left corner.

The Falcons' initial drive from the line-out was repelled, but Sale were penalised and Newcastle had another go.

They again tried to drive over from the line-out, but when they were stopped the ball was whipped out for another memorable moment of Wilkinson triumph