Wasps scored four tries to pick up a bonus point and the visitors’ director of rugby believed the pair, who recently hit the headlines for their training ground spat, were central figures.

McGeechan said: "I thought Danny’s game management was better tonight and Josh has had three very good games for us on the trot.

"We’ve come away with four tries and a bonus point so we can’t complain because we usually don’t find it too easy at Newcastle."

It was not vintage Cipriani as he missed two relatively easy first-half kicks but he did manufacture a crucial second-half try for Tom Voyce.

RFU director of rugby Rob Andrew, who was in the crowd, will have been pleased to see the fly-half come through unscathed, while Falcons centre Jamie Noon, who was stretchered off in the first half, is believed to have nothing more serious than bad concussion.

Newcastle director of rugby Steve Bates said: "It hasn’t been a lucky evening in terms of injuries or the result, but Jamie is fine although he got whacked and it looks like concussion.

"He had a bit of tingling down one arm which is why the medical staff took all the precautions they did and Jamie was out for a while, but he is walking around downstairs now and seems fine.”

He added: "Wasps are a quality team and we battled really well but we didn’t look comfortable when we had the ball and we will have to look at that."

Newcastle’s pack caught Wasps on the hop at the first scrum and when they stood up as the Falcons put on the drive, it led to a second-minute penalty for Rory Clegg.

Newcastle’s lead disappeared in the 12th minute when Brent Wilson fell off Lewsey and Paul Sackey had the easiest of run-ins for the try for a 5-3 lead before Cipriani made a mess of the conversion.

Clegg kicked another penalty but Tom Rees burrowed over to leave the visitors 12-6 ahead at the break.

Voyce then crossed for another Wasps try before Rob Vickers replied to leave the score 19-13 with eight minutes left.

But Joe Simpson killed the game off two minutes from time with a surging run and a tumbling bonus point try which Cipriani converted.