Walker's drop too much for Wasps

Four penalties from Danny Cipriani were not enough for Wasps to hold off Worcester at Sixways, as a last-minute drop goal from the home side's on-loan stand-off Willie Walker sealed a 13-12 victory.

The young Worcester centre Alex Grove scored the only try of the match – if Wasps' slow start to the season and subsequent recovery is not unusual, their failure to collect a try- scoring bonus point by the end of February certainly is – and Walker, who is on loan from Gloucester, kicked a penalty and a conversion.

While the result arrested Wasps' surge, it was also bad news for benighted, bottom-placed Bristol. They are now 13 points – or three bonus-point wins – behind Worcester, and surely doomed to return to National League One.

Newcastle began their move away from the bottom after Christmas, and they kept up their momentum with a 19-13 win at Franklin's Gardens over Northampton yesterday. Jon Golding, Danny Williams and Tom May scored first-half tries for the Falcons, who are now so far out of trouble that they might even be thinking about sneaking a place in the play-offs. Could be.

Tom May kicked two conversions to help hold off a North-ampton comeback that featured a try by Paul Diggin, a conversion and a penalty from Stephen Myler and a further penalty by Barry Everitt.

There are three Premiership matches today. Third-placed London Irish are at home to Leicester, Sale, sitting in second, are away to Saracens and Bristol host Harlequins.