Sale strengthen play-off bid with five-try win at Kingston Park
Sale Sharks strengthened their Premiership play-off ambitions with a 35-14 victory over winless Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.
Tries from Ben Curry and Joe Carpenter put the visitors in command in the first half, before Guy Pepper reduced the deficit to a converted try.
A Tim Cardall score levelled the game to give Newcastle fans hope of a rare win, but Luke Cowan-Dickie swiftly dotted down to restore the Sharks’ lead.
There was no way back this time for the north east side, who were denied a losing bonus point after tries from Tom Roebuck and Rob du Preez in the final 10 minutes.
Sale had registered bonus-point wins in their last two Premiership games and knew another here would take them to within two points of fourth-placed Bristol Bears.
In contrast, their opponents suffered an 85-14 thrashing at Ashton Gate last week and were desperate to end their long winless streak in the competition, having not tasted success since March 2023.
Both sides struggled to take control in the early stages, regularly kicking for territory while stoppages for injury also broke up the play, with Elliott Obatoyinbo withdrawn for a head injury assessment.
The hosts began to put Sale under extended pressure, winning multiple penalties in succession approaching the 20-minute mark but they could not break through stubborn defensive resistance.
And as has happened so often for the Falcons this season, their opposition punished them at the other end – Curry breaking from a maul to run in from the right after 26 minutes.
Carpenter doubled the advantage three minutes later after good work from Manu Tuilagi – the ever-reliable George Ford added the extras on both occasions to leave the north east side facing a mountain to climb again.
They began in perfect fashion before the break as Pepper grabbed a try from a maul to bring the long-suffering crowd – the highest Falcons home attendance since December 2018 – to their feet.
And they continued to reel Sale in after the interval, finally levelling when Cardall rounded off a spell of huge pressure with a pick-and-go left of the posts.
Their frailties at the back came to the fore once again, however, as Cowan-Dickie powered through to dot down and restore the Sharks’ lead.
Roebuck added insult to injury when he sidestepped a challenge to go over from close range, giving them the crucial bonus point and denying Newcastle a losing one of their own.
Three consecutive league wins were secured when Du Preez finished off a good move for Sale’s fifth try of the day three minutes from time.
Comments on RugbyPass
Great comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
1 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to comments