After a year of ups and downs for Newcastle Falcons' Dave Walder, the fly-half hopes to hit the heights today when he and his teammates step out at Twickenham for the Powergen Cup final. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson talks ot him.

NEWCASTLE fly-half Dave Walder is hoping his rollercoaster year ends with the greatest high of them all when the Falcons take on Sale Sharks in this afternoon's Powergen Cup final at Twickenham.

The whole of English rugby union has been put through the emotional wringer over the last 12 months, but Walder's career has plotted a particularly treacherous course that has taken in just about everything the game has to offer.

The 25-year-old was forced to endure a miserable time last season when a broken leg kept him out of almost all of the campaign.

But he was offered a chink of light last summer when England coach Sir Clive Woodward named him in his pre-World Cup squad to tour Canada and Japan.

That decision offered the dream prospect of a late promotion to the squad list for last autumn's tournament in Australia but, when Woodward announced his final party, Walder's name was nowhere to be seen.

The hangover of that disappointment carried over into the start of the domestic season and, with Walder expected to play a crucial role in the Newcastle backline in the enforced absence of Jonny Wilkinson, his form dipped alarmingly.

Suddenly from the being on the fringe of the international set-up, Walder found himself battling for his place in a Falcons side treading water in the Zurich Premiership.

It would have been easy to have hidden behind the tumultuous events of the last 12 months but, after a dressing down from director of rugby Rob Andrew, Walder pledged to turn his season around by remembering what made him want to be a professional rugby union player in the first place.

With his love of thex game refreshed, he gradually rediscovered the form that had first seen him being lined up as the natural challenger to Wilkinson's throne.

That improvement culminated in the 28-point haul against semi-final opponents Pertemps Bees that helped to book Newcastle's first Powergen Cup final appearance since they lifted the trophy in 2001.

Walder's renaissance will continue at Twickenham this afternoon and, should he prompt the Falcons to victory over Sale, he will finally be able to banish the less memorable moments of the last 12 months.

"It's been frustrating for me," admitted Walder. "I had the low of missing all of last year with my leg, then the high of getting in the pre-World Cup squad, and then the low of getting kicked out of that.

"Maybe I came back in needing an arm putting round me because I felt I was being pushed away a little bit.

"I wasn't getting picked in the position I wanted to play in, I wasn't playing as well as I could have been to get picked in that position, and it was a bit of a vicious circle.

"My confidence was low but then, a couple of months ago, Rob called me in and pretty much laid the law down to me.

"Fortunately, from then, your livelihood's at stake and you focus your mind pretty quickly. Luckily things have turned out all right and I'm starting to get back to how I know I can play.

"But there have been so many ups and downs for me.

"I guess Charlie Hodgson at Sale is probably the only person who's been through a similar thing so it's a bit ironic that we'll be lining up against each other in the final."

Walder's cup final pedigree is already impeccable as it was his dramatic injury-time try that sealed Newcastle's victory over Harlequins three years ago.

The Falcons were trailing 27-23 as the game entered the fourth minute of stoppage time, but Walder settled things by plunging over for the decisive score that was then successfully converted by Wilkinson.

That match-winning try marked Walder's transition from promising prospect to seasoned star and, without it, he admits his career might not have hit top gear.

"The try's still there in the memory," he said. "I've had a pretty bad year and, whenever you're really down, it's nice to look back at that because it gives you a pick-up.

"Looking back, I think it was probably that try that kick-started my career. From there I got noticed a lot more and I was fortunate enough to go and tour with England the following summer.

"Maybe that try gave me the big break I was looking for. But you've got to be careful not to hark back to it too much because it was three years ago and things have moved on. I've moved on as a player, but it's nice that it's still there in the back of your mind."

Walder's match-winning try first marked him out as Newcastle's talisman and, since then, he has proved to be the luckiest of omens in the Powergen Cup.

The Falcons have won each of the eight cup games Walder has been involved in and, while superstitions don't count for everything, the free-flowing fly-half is desperate to keep the run going that little while longer.

"I heard that for the first time earlier this week and, hopefully, I can keep it going," he said.

"But it's one of those things that's bound to come to an end eventually.

"It's a similar situation to what they were saying about Steven Gerrard and the England football team, but that came to an end over in Sweden last month. Let's hope it's a little bit different for me against Sale."

Born in Newcastle, Walder is one of the homegrown stars the Falcons have nurtured through the ranks in recent years.

He remains a mad Newcastle United fan and was at St James' Park on Wednesday night as the Magpies booked their place in the last four of the UEFA Cup.

The two sides' cup exploits have set up the possibility of a unique sporting double and Walder is desperate to succeed against Sale this afternoon to give himself a chance of cheering Newcastle's other leading side to their own piece of knockout glory.

"I was at the PSV Eindhoven game with my brothers and thought Newcastle deserved to get into the semi-final," said Walder.

"Someone said the other day that it would be great for both clubs to win a trophy this season so we'll just have to see.

"The semi-final's on Thursday night but we're actually playing Sale again down in Manchester. Hopefully, if we win the cup I can have a word with Rob and get the night off.

But I think I'd better wait to see how things go at Twickenham before I try my luck!"