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Après cinq journées en European Rugby Challenge Cup
Sale Sharks are seeking to end an eight-game losing streak in Europe when they face Pau.
Sharks went down 30-12 at Newport Gwent Dragons in the opening round of Pool 2 in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. That stretched their disappointing run of losses back to January 2014 when they edged out Biarritz Olympique 9-7 to reach the last eight of the Challenge Cup.
However, defeat in the quarter-final to Northampton Saints was followed by a whitewash in the Champions Cup last season. So director of rugby Steve Diamond will look for an improvement from his young team when they return to the AJ Bell Stadium.
Diamond said: “We have always produced plenty of talent through our academy and this is from giving those lads opportunities. Sometimes that means results don’t go your way in the short-term.
“But we will have to travel with some intent to get a result against Pau. They are an abrasive team and this will be a difficult match with all the emotion in France from last week’s events in Paris.”
Pau have returned to European competition after a nine-year absence yet Diamond faces a familiar foe in former Sale team-mate Simon Mannix. The New Zealander, now director of rugby at Les Paloise, scored 53 points for the Sharks in the Challenge Cup in the 1996-7 season.
The ex-fly-half went on to compete in further campaign with Gloucester and Bridgend, making his final European appearance against Pau in 2002. Now he is in charge of a team who may be 12th in the French Top 14 but have already beaten Montpellier, Agen and Toulouse this season.
And in veteran backs Damien Traille, a Challenge Cup winner with Pau back in 2000, and Sireli Bobo, they boast two players who know what it takes to go all the way in this tournament.
Match Facts
- Sale Sharks have won just one of their three Challenge Cup matches against Pau, though that one victory was in the 2005 Final when they defeated the French side 27-3.
- Pau have won both pool matches contested between these clubs scoring a combined 83 points in those two matches to down the Sharks.
- Sale Sharks have won five of their last seven matches against French opposition in the Challenge Cup, with four of those wins coming by at least 15 points.
- Sale Sharks have never lost consecutive home games in this competition but are faced with the prospect when they host Pau (34 games without consecutive losses).
- Pau have lost their last four matches against teams from England including a 75-12 drubbing at the hands of London Irish in 2006 last time out.
Sale Sharks left it late but No 8 Viliami Fihakiank came up with the 77th minute goods for a priceless try bonus point as they won a Pool 2 thriller 29-20 against Pau at the AJ Bell Stadium to keep their knock-out stages qualification hopes alive. - 21/11/2015 17:03
Sale Sharks left it late but No 8 Viliami Fihakiank came up with the 77th minute goods for a priceless try bonus point as they won a Pool 2 thriller 29-20 against Pau at the AJ Bell Stadium to keep their knock-out stages qualification hopes alive.
The Tongan international back rower made it count with a pick up and go for Sale’s fourth try as they bounced back from their 30-12 opening round defeat at Newport Gwent Dragons.
And this victory ended an eight-game losing streak in Europe going back to 2014 and defeat in the tournament quarter-finals to Northampton Saints.
That was followed by a whitewash in the Champions Cup last season but the long wait is now over with their second win in four clashes with Pau, including their 27-3 triumph in the 2005 final.
South African international prop Brian Mujati gave Sale the perfect start with a third minute try and centre Mark Jennings added another before the break.
Ford converted both and added a penalty soon after the restart but Pau, back in European competition after a nine-year absence, made sure it was nip-and-tuck all the way to Mills’ late contribution.
Simon Mannix, the New Zealander now director of rugby at Les Paloise, scored 53 points for the Sharks in the Challenge Cup in the 1996-7 season and saw his current charges proved his old club with a huge challenge.
Lock Daniel Ramsay and hooker Quentin Lespiaucq Brettes got a try in each half with Thibault Daubagna weighing in with 10 points with the boot.
But for Sale the long wait to taste Euro victory again is over thanks to further tries from centre Sam James and Fihaki as they look forward to back-to-back contests with Castres Olympique next month.
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