Newcastle Falcons' return to the Aviva Premiership began with a 21-0 defeat to Bath Rugby this evening.
George Ford opened the scoring for the visitors after just six minutes with a penalty, but the newly-promoted side had a strong spell of possession for much of the opening 40 minutes.
Despite controlling the match, the hosts were unable to add to the score, while Ford added a second kick just before the break, allowing Bath to head into half time with a 6-0 lead.
Increasingly heavy rain made try-scoring chances limited in the second half, but Anthony Perenise managed to force his way over in the 63rd minute to extend Bath's lead.
The visitors became stronger as the match went on, and were able to secure a penalty try in the final minutes of the game to end any hopes of a Falcons comeback.
