Ashton sings his old swan song as treble helps beat Connacht
A GAME which promised so much in the opening half turned hugely against Connacht after the restart and the pain of the defeat was intensified by the sight of Chris Ashton swan-diving over for the bonus point 16 minutes from time as he completed his hat-trick.
There was always a danger that Ashton, making his debut for Sale after serving his latest ban which stretched for seven weeks, would leave his mark on this game. But for the opening half it seemed that it might be a day to remember for a Connacht side infused with plenty of youth.
The visitors, having gone with such an experimental side, could hardly have hoped for a better start as they opened up a 6-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Nobody emphasised that better than out-half Conor Fitzgerald, starting his first match having made his debut off the bench last weekend against Bordeaux-Begles.
The 21-year-old, released from the Munster academy a few months ago, slotted a second minute penalty after his break through the middle forced Faf de Klerk to knock-on deliberately, an offence which earned the Springbok scrum-half 10 minutes in the bin.
Fitzgerald’s kicking from the hand was also good as Connacht grew in confidence and he doubled the lead at the end of the opening quarter. Sale, bonus point winners in Perpignan in the opening round, eventually settled in a scrappy opening half and de Klerk tied the match after 27 minutes with two penalties.
Sale coach Steve Diamond switched Ashton to the right to put him facing another Connacht academy player Colm de Buitléar, who was making his first start seven days after his debut.
But Connacht showed plenty of ambition and were rewarded when scrum-half Caolin Blade, skippering the side for the first time, opted to go to the right corner with a penalty just after the half hour.
Two further penalties ensued, followed by good drives and after Blade was stopped short, the ball was recycled and hooker Shane Delahunt got over in the right corner. Fitzgerald added the touchline conversion after 31 minutes.
However, a sloppy turnover in a good attacking position saw Sale counter from deep and Ashton, quiet until then, put on the burners to score in the right corner, with de Klerk’s excellent conversion levelling before the break.
Sale took charge after the restart and were ruthless in punishing Connacht. They turned over a scrum for Andy Friend’s side in midfield when No 8 Robin Copeland was nabbed and then when the visitors survived a couple of penalties to the corner, they failed to execute the clearance and a knock-on by Tiernan O’Halloran presented Sale with a chance and No 8 Josh Beaumont burst over from the base of the scrum.
The conversion by de Klerk made it 20-13 after 54 minutes and three minutes later it was game over when Ashton tapped a penalty and went over.
He sealed the bonus point and rubbed salt in the Connacht wound by swan-diving over 16 minutes from time after Paul Boyle was binned following a Sale break from deep just when it seemed Connacht were about to score and get back in the contest.
It was that sort of day for Connacht, getting close to what would have been a great result only for Ashton, as feared, to leave his mark on this game in trademark fashion.