Wade Hits 100 Prem Tries in Newcastle Loss — SkimNews
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- Christian Wade scored his 100th Prem Rugby try with a hat-trick — two in the first half and a third early in the second after intercepting a Henry Slade error — making him just the second player to reach the century and one try off Chris Ashton's record of 101 set in April 2023.
- Exeter claimed a first win of the season, edging 34-28 with tries from Ross Vintcent (two), Henry Slade, Sam Harris, and Bachuki Tchumbadze, plus three Slade conversions and a late penalty to move to eighth, four points behind leaders Gloucester.
- Newcastle Red Bulls remain winless and second-from-bottom, taking two losing bonus points from the defeat after leading 21-19 in a frenetic opening quarter that produced five tries inside 25 minutes.
- Wade's career arc spans an England cap, four years (2018-2022) trying to break into the NFL, a stint at Racing 92, a return via Gloucester in 2024, a brief rugby league spell at Wigan, and a move to Newcastle last year — making his milestone at age 35 a rare late-stage resurgence.
- Sandy Park closed its 15,600-capacity North Terrace for the first time at a Prem match, with only 7,071 watching the eight-try contest that followed a separate 18-try, 119-point thriller between Northampton and Bath the previous Saturday.
Why it matters: Wade is now one try from breaking Ashton's all-time Prem record at age 35, after a career detour through the NFL, French rugby, and rugby league — the milestone is imminent. Newcastle, by contrast, are winless through the early season with just two losing bonus points, a sharp contrast with Exeter grabbing their first win and staying within four points of leaders Gloucester.
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