Jonny Wilkinson’s injury jinx struck again last night, when the England fly half limped off in the first half of Newcastle Falcons’ heavy defeat away to Gloucester. Wilkinson twisted a knee for the fourth time in three years after being knocked off his feet at a ruck and lay in distress for five minutes before being helped to the dressing-room with his arms draped around the shoulders of two medical staff. He left the ground on crutches. It is the latest blow to befall the No 10, who has looked sharp this season after having a shoulder operation in the summer.

Steve Bates, the Newcastle director of rugby, said that it was too early to say how bad the injury was and that a decision on when Wilkinson would have a scan was to be taken this morning, after doctors had assessed the injury and the extent of the swelling. “Jonny is sitting up in the changing-room reasonably comfortably,” Bates said. “It looks like some ligament damage to the inside of his left knee. He didn’t want to come off. He didn’t seem that despondent. Hopefully, that means it is not as serious as it looked when he first came off."

It is cruel luck for Wilkinson. Last night the 29-year-old continued his rich vein of form in the opening quarter of the match, with one half-break almost resulting in a try. He kicked a penalty goal, his fourteenth successful kick in a row this season, and generally was enjoying himself before he was laid low. Having embraced Buddhism and quantum physics this year, he must wonder why fate so often appears to be against him.

The injury overshadowed a heavy defeat for Newcastle, who had fought their way back to 19-16 behind at the hour mark by scoring two good tries. The first came from Matt Thompson, the hooker, from a clever lineout move and the second was a scintillating solo efort by Tom May, the centre, who chipped, gathered and scooted over from 60 metres.

However, Steve Jones, the full back, was sent to the sin-bin for killing the ball and the Falcons collapsed in the wake of Olly Barkley’s fourth penalty goal and the completion of a hat-trick of tries by Iain Balshaw, the forgotten England international, who was in flying form. James Simpson-Daniel, Balshaw’s fellow wing, secured the bonus point after some sloppy defending and shifted through the gears for a long-range strike five minutes from time. Phil Dowson’s try in reply was scant consolation on a miserable evening for Newcastle.

Bates reflected on a performance with “some good bits and some bits absolutely dreadful”, but Dean Ryan, the Gloucester head coach, was happier as his team climbed to third in the Guinness Premiership table. He will be pleased with Olly Morgan’s performance at full back and the knowledge that his side are showing signs of making the most of the new experimental laws by attacking from deep with pace and purpose. Ryan will have been less enamoured with several unnecessary mistakes. “We are trying to interpret where the game is going by hanging on to our characteristics but also adapting,” he said.

Within a minute of the start, Wilkinson had extended his unblemished kicking record, a thumping effort from 55 metres after Gloucester were penalised for going off their feet at the breakdown. Barkley, in his first start at fly half for his new club, was keen to prove that he was more than a match for his counterpart. Balshaw knocked on when crossing the line and followed that by dropping a pass with a three-to-one overlap beckoning. But he soon found his form, scoring after a fine pass from Barkley and a searing break by Simpson-Daniel, and rounding off the first half with his second try after Mike Tindall punched his way up the middle, leaving Adam Balding trampled. Barkley kicked two penalties and Rory Clegg, Wilkinson’s replacement, added one for Newcastle as Gloucester went in at half-time with a ten-point cushion, but everyone’s thoughts were on Wilkinson.

Having scuffed a dropped-goal attempt, greeted by chants of “eye-ore” from the Shed, Wilkinson was left lying in an ominous heap for several minutes after attempting to tackle Morgan. He got up but was cleared out at the ensuing ruck, twisting his knee in the process. After treatment, he limped off to sympathetic applause.

Scorers: Gloucester: Tries: Balshaw 3 (21min, 38, 67), Simpson-Daniel 2 (71, 75). Conversion: Walker. Penalty goals: Barkley 4 (14, 39, 49, 63). Newcastle Falcons: Tries: Thompson (44), May (51), Dowson (78). Conversion: Clegg. Penalty goals: Wilkinson (1), Clegg (31).

Scoring sequence (Gloucester first): 0-3, 3-3, 8-3, 8-6, 13-6, 16-6 (half-time), 16-11, 19-11, 19-16, 22-16, 27-16, 32-16, 39-16, 39-23.

Gloucester: O Morgan; I Balshaw, M Watkins (rep: W Walker, 40+1), M Tindall, J Simpson-Daniel; OBarkley (rep: M Foster, 77), G Cooper (rep: RLawson, 53); N Wood (rep: D Young, 78), SLawson (rep: O Azam, 53), A Dickinson, MBortolami, A Brown, P Buxton (rep: A Satala, 77), A Strokosch, L Narraway (rep: A Hazell, 39).

Newcastle Falcons: S Jones (sin-bin, 63-73); OPhillips, J Noon, T May, J Rudd; J Wilkinson (rep: R Clegg, 26), H Charlton; M Ward, M Thompson (rep: A Long, 53), C Hayman, A Perry, M Sorenson, A Balding (rep: R Winter, 39), E Williamson, PDowson.

Referee: D Rose. Attendance: 12,861.