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Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond is determined to keep on improving after turning a corner at Castres last weekend. - 17/12/2015 12:09
Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond is determined to keep on improving after turning a corner at Castres last weekend.
The Premiership side scored late to seize a 17-10 victory on French soil and turn up the heat on Challenge Cup Pool Two leaders Newport Gwent Dragons. The Sharks have to do it all again on Saturday when they welcome Castres to the AJ Bell Stadium, kickoff 14:30.
Diamond’s charges are a single point behind the Dragons in second place, with nine points from three matches. The Dragons face a tricky trip to Pau, with All Blacks legend Conrad Smith set to take his place in the centre. So it could be all change in Pool Two this weekend, and Diamond is desperate to build on their French triumph.
He said: “It's exciting times but we need to win at the weekend. If we don't, the result at Castres means nothing. We win at the weekend and we stand a very good chance of qualifying from our group. We've always aimed for the quarter-finals in this competition, and then we'll see where we get to.
“We said before the game we need to win away from home in France and it was a great victory.”
“They gave everything for the shirt, without a doubt it's a turning point for the club 's season because we've lost and drawn three very close games and through pure determination we've won that game which was against a much sterner opposition we've faced over the last few weeks.”
Match Facts
- Sale Sharks enjoyed a 17-10 victory over Castres Olympique in their last and only clash so far in the Challenge Cup.
- Sale Sharks have won each of their last four matches against teams from France in the Challenge Cup, though their last three such victories have come by margins of less than 10 points.
- Sale Sharks have won 23 of their last 26 home matches in the Challenge Cup and have won the last three in a row at home to French opponents.
- Castres Olympique have won an away fixture against an English team in the Challenge Cup just twice, losing five of seven away to clubs from England.
Surpris chez lui au match aller
Sale Sharks kept the pressure on at the top of pool two with a hard-fought win over Castres Olympique.
The Sharks led by just nine points at half-time thanks to three penalties from the boot of Joe Ford before three tries after the break from Viliami Fihaki, Neil Briggs and Johnny Leota made sure of the win.
Castre had threatened a comeback with a try from Johnnie Beattie in between the first two Sharks’ scores but the French side left with nothing to show for a spirited display.
Ford had put the home side ahead with a penalty after two minutes but minutes later they were almost caught napping by a grubber kick from outside-half Julien Dumora, but centre Mark Jennings did just about enough to ground the ball and stop the danger.
Fly-half Ford added two more penalties before half-time but the wet conditions were making it difficult for both sides to play running rugby.
Dumora got three points back for the visitors straight after the break but the home side responded with the game’s first try, with Fihaki going over after an excellent interception from Jennings.
With 20 minutes to play Castre got themselves back into the contest with a well-worked try of their own, going down the blindside from a set-piece with number eight Beattie finishing the move, with Dumora adding the extras.
It set up a tense final quarter before the Sharks made sure of the win with nine minutes to go when replacement hooker Briggs and lock Jonathan Mills combined with a quick line-out to send the former over for their second try.
Replacement 10 Danny Cipriani added a penalty before Johnny Leota grabbed a third try two minutes from time after a quick tap by Peter Stringer.
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