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Sale Sharks can tighten their grip on Pool 1 with back-to-back victories over tournament newcomers Oyonnax this week and next. - 04/12/2013 09:32
Sale Sharks know that a bonus-point victory over Worcester Warriors could secure a spot in the last eight for the first time in six years.
Maximum points at the AJ Bell Stadium will be enough to see them through if Biarritz Olympique return from fellow French outfit Oyonnax empty handed. But if 2012 tournament winners Biarritz pick up at least a point on the road the pool will remain up for grabs in Round 6.
Sale were easy victors when they faced Worcester at Sixways back in October and there is nothing to suggest the outcome will be much different this time around.
Since that 29-15 win in Round 2, Sale have picked up a losing bonus point at Oyonnax and hammered the Top 14 newcomers 53-14 last time out. Their three most recent league games have seen the Sharks win at home to London Irish and away at Newcastle on Friday night and leave Leicester with a losing bonus-point the week before last.
It’s a vastly different story for the Warriors, who are still without a win in the Amlin Challenge Cup or the Aviva Premiership, with their season so far featuring just a single success against Cardiff Blues in the LV= Cup.
Dean Ryan’s men were beaten by London Irish on Saturday afternoon and have now lost all 12 Premiership fixtures, while they suffered more heartbreak on both of their most recent European outings as Biarritz robbed them of a maiden win late on both home and away.
They were on track for a morale-boosting win at Biarritz in Round 4 but failed to hang on to a healthy lead even when their hosts were down to 14 men, while they were beaten by a try with the final play in the reverse fixture in the Midlands.
Sale Sharks took a step closer to the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup but victory was over-shadowed by a serious injury to Worcester's Paul Warwick. - 10/01/2014 22:51
Sale Sharks took a step closer to the quarter-finals of the Amlin Challenge Cup but victory was over-shadowed by a serious injury to Worcester’s Paul Warwick.
Dwayne Peel, Sam Tuitupou and Jonathan Mills all crossed as Sharks claimed an impressive 21-3 win at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Victory saw Sale move five points clear at the top of Pool 1 but their failure to clinch a bonus point has opened the door for Biarritz to draw level when they play Oyonnax on Saturday.
However, there was concern for Warriors fly-half Warwick who was carried away on a stretcher mid-way through the second-half after play was stopped for 10 minutes for treatment.
Sale made a bright start, marked by James Gaskell’s break, only for Danny Cipriani to knock-on in sight of the line.
Cipriani recovered to kick the opening points on nine minutes before Peel started and finished an attack, involving Mark Cueto and Gaskell, for the game’s opening try.
Cipriani missed the conversion but exchanged penalties with Warwick, after Worcester’s scrum took one against the head, as Sale held on to lead 11-3 at half-time despite good work from Warriors pair Josh Watkins and Richard De Carpentier.
Former British & Irish Lions scrum-half Peel again proved the catalyst when he sent Jonathan Mills over just three minutes into the second half, though Cipriani again missed the conversion.
Peel then spotted an opening after capitalising on a strike against the head by his scrum and Tuitupou stretched out to score on the hour. Nick MacLeod failed to convert.
Following the break for Warwick’s injury, Gaskell went close before Sale finished with 14 men after Tuitupou was sin binned for deliberately knocking down the ball.
Sharks held out for the victory to stay in pole position for a place in the knock-out stages, although they may yet have to win at Biarritz to secure a place in the last eight.
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