Worcester: 9 Pens: Brown (2), Hayes Newcastle: 30 Tries: McCarthy, Mayerhofler, Grimes Cons: Wilkinson (3) Pens: Wilkinson (3)

Mike McCarthy grabbed an impressive first-half score for the Falcons, who fell behind early on, thanks to two James Brown penalties.

The Warriors fought back well in the second-half with Tommy Hayes reducing the deficit.

But scores from Mark Mayerhofler and Stuart Grimes sealed the win.

Worcester deserved their 6-0 first-half lead, but when Jamie Noon bounced off a tackle and fed McCarthy yards from the line the former Connacht player proved unstoppable.

The new boys fought back well and Craig Gillies crossed to huge home cheers, only to be brought back controversially for obstruction.

If we only play for 30 minutes then that will be the result every week Worcester coach Andy Keast

Instead, it was the visitors who kept the scoreboard ticking over as 11 first-half points from Wilkinson, making his return after shoulder surgery, gave the Falcons a 16-6 half-time lead.

With both side's struggling for fluency it took 22 minutes for either side to score after the break and there were huge cheers when Hayes' penalty sailed through.

But tries from Mayerhofler and Grimes capped an important, if unimpressive, opening victory for Rob Andrew's men.

Worcester coach Andy Keast had no complaints about the result.

"The result was not very pleasing," he said. "In this league, you have got to play for 80 minutes.

I thought he was fine - he looked comfortable with the pace Rob Andrew on Jonny Wilkinson

"You have got to take opportunities. It is about small margins, and we have got to make sure that we are on the right side of those margins."

Newcastle rugby director Rob Andrew was extremely satisfied with his captain's progress.

"I thought he was fine - he looked comfortable with the pace," he said.

"With the injuries that Jonny has had, we haven't seen much of him in the past 18 months, to be honest."

Worcester: O'Leary, Gollings, Hinshelwood, Trueman, Lombard, Brown, Cole, Windo, Daly, Lyman, Collier, Gillies, Greeff, Sanderson, Hickey.
Replacements: Noon, Fortey, Murphy, MacLeod-Henderson, Stuart-Smith, Hayes, Delport.

Newcastle: J Shaw; T May, J Noon, M Mayerhofler, M Stephenson; J Wilkinson (joint capt), H Charlton; I Peel (joint capt), M Thompson, M Hurter, L Gross, S Grimes, M McCarthy, C Charvis, P Dowson.
Replacements: M Ward, A Long, C Hamilton, S Sititi, J Grindal, D Walder, E Taione.