TRAILING 19-13 with 15 minutes left, Newcastle finally cut loose with three tries in six minutes to settle the first of their back-to-back Heineken Cup clashes with Edinburgh yesterday.

A third win out of three kept the Falcons on course for the quarter-finals, although they will need to improve on their efforts in the first 15 minutes of each half.

In front of 7,080 fans at Kingston Park it wasn't until the game opened up in the last quarter that Newcastle were able to get both wingers over plus their outstanding full back Matt Burke.

They again owed much to their other experienced international Colin Charvis, while with his limited opportunities centre Jamie Noon underlined his claims to take over from Mike Tindall in the England centre if the Bath player's injury proves long-term.

It was Noon's opportunism which sparked the spree which won the game.

First he and fellow centre Mark Mayerhofler carried play to within ten metres of the posts, where on Edinburgh's put-in the ball squirted out of a scrum and Noon swooped to pick up and slide almost to the line.

When the ball came back fly half Dave Walder turned it back inside for Tom May to score and Burke's conversion put the Falcons in front.

They quickly stretched away, but Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "Overall it was a pretty poor performance.

"But with Perpignan losing at Newport we are in a good position and just have to keep winning.

"Perhaps we were a bit complacent, which is disappointing, but that will not be the case at Murrayfield next Saturday.

"I hope Edinburgh will try to entertain at home rather than slowing the ball down as they did here. Northampton tried it last week and the referee caned them, but it didn't happen today.

"It meant there was no pace in the game, but once it did open up the difference between the sides was obvious."

A match in which Edinburgh favoured the driving maul and Newcastle the pick-and-drive produced the extraordinary statistic that the first scrum didn't come until the 36th minute.

That was probably just as well for Newcastle as at the next one, five minutes later, they were shunted back and conceded a penalty just short of their line. Edinburgh kicked it to touch, drove to the line and skipper Todd Blackadder spun off on the blind side to score in the left corner.

Chris Paterson's conversion gave the visitors a 16-13 interval lead, which was a fair reflection of the play as they had dominated the first 15 minutes.

After an excellent rolling kick to the corner by Dave Walder in the first minute Newcastle could hardly get their hands on the ball until they had gone 9-0 down.

It soon became obvious that under the coaching of Blackadder, the former All Blacks captain, Edinburgh were well versed in rolling mauls and after four minutes they gained 20 metres from a line-out. Then their other New Zealander, fly half Brendan Laney, broke through flimsy defence and another maul was pulled down to give Paterson a simple penalty.

After seven minutes Laney stepped inside more non-existent tackling and after the ball was recycled three times the fly half dropped a goal to make it 6-0.

Paterson's second penalty stretched the lead after 14 minutes before the Falcons began to get into the game, with Charvis and 20-year-old lock Andy Buist prominent.

But it took a break from his own half by Mayerhofler to get them within striking distance. Charvis and hooker Andy Long both made good ground from pick-and-drives and when the ball came back Walder slotted a drop goal.

After 25 minutes it was Charvis again who forged on, forcing Edinburgh to concede a penalty and Burke obliged from 30 metres.

Eight minutes later the Falcons looked primed to take control as more excellent rucking was followed by the ball being moved to the left wing then the right, where Noon took Burke's pass to go in at the corner.

Burke converted for a 13-9 lead, but when Edinburgh came back Newcastle put themselves under needless pressure by trying to run almost from their own line.

The pressure stayed on until Blackadder scored and after losing their momentum the Falcons struggled to regain it after half-time.

Despite Burke hitting the right post with a penalty from just inside halfway, and May almost getting in at the right corner, they went a further three points behind.

Paterson landed a well-struck penalty in the 55th minute after a fracas resulted in Long and visiting prop Allan Jacobsen being sin-binned.

Edinburgh could have been further ahead but for a last-ditch covering tackle by Mayerhofler on Paterson.

Newcastle sent on Stuart Grimes for Luke Gross and once the Falcons went ahead the game opened up and storming runs by flanker Mike McCarthy and Grimes set up the last two tries.

Noon sent winger Michael Stephenson over then Grimes passed inside to give Burke a 25-metre run to the posts.

The Australian added his fourth conversion for a 36-19 lead and the game was well into injury time when Blackadder broke from a line-out to lay on a try for Edinburgh scrum half Mike Blair.

Now the world will wait to see if Jonny Wilkinson is fit for the return match on Saturday evening