Christian Wade equals Chris Ashton's Premiership try record as Newcastle beat Sale

Christian Wade has drawn level with Chris Ashton as the Premiership's all-time try-scorer, after Newcastle Red Bulls beat Sale Sharks 17-3 at Kingston Park on Friday night.

Wade's try was his 101st in the Premiership, matching the total Ashton built up in the competition. BBC Sport reported that the winger touched down in the right corner nine minutes into the second half. He is 35 years old and had come into the game on 100 tries, one short of the mark.

Wade's score came in a match billed as a derby, the local-rivalry label often given to fixtures between nearby clubs. Newcastle had the better of it from start to finish. Their 17 points came from two tries, two conversions and a penalty. Wade scored one try and George McGuigan scored the other, from a maul just after the hour. A maul is when the ball carrier is held up by teammates and the pack drives forward together. Josh Hodge kicked both conversions, which are the extra two points after a try, and added a penalty, a kick awarded for an infringement.

Sale's only points came from a penalty by George Ford before half-time. They had gone unbeaten in their previous two league matches, so this was a sharp change of fortune for the visitors.

For Newcastle, the win was their first league victory of the season. It also leaves Harlequins as the only Premiership side still waiting for a win this season, according to the BBC's match report.

The referee was Matthew Carley.

Wade's record may not be the last word on his career. The try tally matters for what it says about his finishing, but the wider picture is simpler: a winger who has spent years finding space at the edge of the field has now matched the league's best-known try total. Ashton's 101 has stood as the benchmark, and it is now shared.