Sharks cut loose to confirm title credentials
FIVE-STAR Sale smashed Perpignan to pieces to confirm a home quarter-final and encourage hopes of going all the way to the final at Kingston Park.
Steve Diamond’s men are gradually emerging as a force to be reckoned with and, after first-half tries from Chris Ashton and Arron Reed, the second half was about as one-sided as it gets.
Further tries from captain Jono Ross, Kieran Wilkinson and Tom Bristow underlined the Sharks’ dominance.
Director of rugby Diamond said: “I think we would have been happier if we had beaten Bordeaux or Connacht because that would have guaranteed us a top seeding, so we’re a bit miffed about that.
“I think we played particularly well in the second half and we will embrace the quarter-final and then go wherever it takes in the semi-final. I’m delighted because after a slow start to the season, we’ve now got a side which is pretty dominant in what it’s doing.”
The Catalan visitors led in the third minute when No.8 Genesis Mamea Lemalu embarked on a bulldozing run, fending off three Sale defenders before finding winger Eroni Sau with a neat offload.
Sau’s progress was halted inside’s Sale’s 22 but fly-half David Mele flighted a clever crossfield kick into the left corner and Jean Pujol was on hand to ground the ball.
Undeterred, Sale responded when, on the back of a penalty, Faf de Klerk sent a clever chip behind the Perpignan defence and the onrushing Ashton touched down.
Ashton has been included in Eddie Jones’ Six Nations squad and skipper Ross said of Ashton: “He drives standards and is a worldclass player.”
De Klerk added the extras to Ashton’s try and, with Reed a real livewire on the wing, Sale began to gain the upper hand.
They scored again in the 15th minute when Reed collected a pass from de Klerk on the left flank, backed himself and headed for the line. Reed had the speed and strength to see off opposite number Sau and full-back Jonathan Bousquet as he dived over in the corner for a fine score.
Reed almost scampered clear for a third home try when he intercepted an errant offload from Sau as Sale continued to ask most of the questions.
Diamond’s men were well worth their 15-5 lead – it should have been greater – but they upped the ante in the second half. Despite losing Reed to a rolled ankle, replacement Paolo Odogwu impressed in a feisty display on the left wing and a third Sale try came in the 48th minute when Ross was driven over the line from close range.
Perpignan’s cause was hampered by the 53rdminute sinbinning of Tutaia Masalosalo for So persistent infringement and Sale capitalised when Ben Curry’s bullocking run created the field position for young fly-half Wilkinson to weave his way over from close range.
It turned into a rout when replacement prop Bristow muscled through the Perpignan defence to score a fifth try.
The visitors had the final say when Pujol scored his second in the left corner late on – but the Frenchmen had long since surrendered the points. For Sale, greater challenges lie ahead.