TWIN PEAKS
Battling Wasps stung by towering du Preez brothers
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By CHRIS JONES POWERHOUSE twins Dan and Jean-luc du Preez got Sale’s Premiership campaign back on track with a bonuspoint win over Wasps.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson saw the twins thunder into Wasps and then play key roles in defence as the visitors rallied.
Outside half AJ Macginty pulled the tactical strings to ensure Sale registered their first league win since November.
Sanderson said: “I don’t know how Jean-luc and Dan are not playing more regularly for South Africa because in that form they would get into any international side.
“The lads looked sharp despite not having played for three or four weeks and this is the start we wanted to begin marching back up that table.
“I thought we did lack a little bit of game fitness for obvious reasons and the boys said they felt tired going into the last quarter. Ben Curry looked really sharp and we left a few tries out there and now we have a short turn around and play Bristol.”
Lood de Jager, the World Cup winning Springbok lock, delivered another line-out masterclass against a Wasps pack that is operating without England injured lock Joe Launchbury – one of the few players able to look 6ft 9in De Jager in the eye.
England coach Eddie Jones was in the crowd to watch Ben Curry steal a poor Wasps line-out throw and register the bonus point try for Sale after 43 minutes, and the flanker certainly enjoyed his battle with the highly rated Alfie Barbeary.
Jean-luc, Marland Yarde and Rohan van Rensburg put Sale in control after Josh Bassett’s early Wasps try.
Despite a late try from Jimmy Gopperth, Lee Blackett, the Wasps head coach, was far from happy.
He said:” We lost the physical battle and we couldn’t match them despite a promising start.
“We have had a poor day and are walking away with an eightpoint defeat against Sale who are one of the top teams in the competition,” added Blackett. SALE: Tries: J-L Du Preez, Yarde, van Rensburg, B Curry Cons: Macginty (3).
WASPS: Tries: Bassett, Gopperth Pens: Gopperth (2) Con: Gopperth.