SORRY SALE NO MATCH FOR THE FLAIR OF FABULOUS FINN
A FINN Russell masterclass saw Racing 92 bring the curtain down on Sale’s challenge in the Heineken Champions Cup yesterday. It included a brilliant try from the Scotland playmaker to propel his side into a commanding second-half lead. He volleyed AJ MacGinty’s kick up-field and when the ball bounced sharply back over the Sale No 10’s head into his path, Russell showed his footballing skills and composure. His next kick ahead was precise, the ball sat up and he dived over with a flourish. A shock had been on the cards when Manu Tuilagi rampaged over for a try just before half-time, giving Sale a 10-6 lead. The Sharks were overwhelmed, however, as the French side then scored four tries, starting with a clinical finish by Teddy Thomas created by Russell. After home scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec struck another penalty — in a personal haul of 19 points from the tee — Russell showed his opportunistic streak to put Racing in front. Sale wouldn’t go quietly, as lineout drives led to tries by Akker van der Merwe and Ben Curry. But tries by Juan Imhoff and Max Spring in the last 10 minutes reinforced Racing’s dominance. Sales’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson said: ‘I don’t think you can argue with the result. We got hold of Finn Russell in the first half, but after half-time their off-loading game started coming and the bounce of the ball went their way.’ Racing’s reward is a semi-final showdown with La Rochelle in Lens on Sunday.