Still work in progress as Sharks sting Wasps late on

WHILE Sale Sharks were made to huff and puff their way to Premiership Rugby Cup victory against Wasps, Director of Rugby Steve Diamond knows that, ultimately, it is a results business.

The Sharks continued their winning form at the AJ Bell Stadium as they clinched a 24-20 victory over Wasps which sees them maintain their position at the top of Pool 1.

Two second-half tries from Denny Solomona rescued Sharks from near-defeat, after Wasps had dominated the first-half.

Poor play and sloppy errors cost them, with Sam Wolstenholme and Jack Willis profiting with scores.

And though the hosts sprung a stirring comeback thanks to the intervention of Solomona, Diamond knows that there is much to work on.

“I thought first half we were off the pace. Few errors, defensively and with the ball. Wasps deserved their ten-point lead,” he said.

“Second half we got ourselves into the game. Our dominance at the scrum and the maul showed and we got some field position with it.

“[I am] Pleased with the second half and pleased with the first ten minutes of the game, but the middle period we were poor.

“We managed to do enough to win and not make as many errors in the second-half as in the first-half.

“We were good enough to just edge them out on the day.”

Akker van der Merwe had earlier made the perfect start to his Sharks career as he snatched an early lead for Sale with an opening try from a driving maul.

However, his effort was cancelled out as Wasps swiftly responded and stormed into the lead thanks to tries from Wolstenholme and Willis.

Following a disappointing performance in the first-half, Sharks produced a confident start after the break, piling the pressure on Wasps.

The visitors resisted to hold onto their lead until the hour mark, but Solomona struck to fire Sharks back into the contest as they trailed the visitors by three before adding the winner with 10 minutes to play.

The result gives the Sharks a seven-point buffer at the top of Pool 1, with qualification to the cup’s semifinal stage all-but guaranteed.

But Diamond believes they need to improve their consistency if they are to challenge for silverware.

“At half-time, there were certain points we highlighted, and they responded really well,” he continued.

“It’s always good to win but I have a lot of things to work on. Defensively we were a little bit soft.”