Sports
SALE righted their Champions Cup campaign as they took advantage of Racing 92’s errors and inconsistencies to earn a comfortable victory at Salford Community Stadium.
Jean-Luc du Preez and Tom Roebuck’s tries established a five-point half-time advantage for the hosts, before Joe Carpenter scampered in and Ben Curry shoved over to ensure the Sharks could see out the contest in comfort.
With the home fans serenading their team, Rob du Preez powered over, only to see his try chalked off for a knock-on. But it couldn’t take the shine off a deeply satisfying night for coach Alex Sanderson.
Bottom of pool four after coming away from Glasgow without a losing bonus point in the opening round, Sale climb to second with a weekend of action to come elsewhere.
The top four qualify for the last 16, with the top two in each of the four pools having home advantage for the knockouts.
The Sharks delivered on Sanderson’s pre-match request to test Racing’s commitment to the competition with their physicality.
The swirling Salford drizzle didn’t add to the attraction for Racing, who beat Harlequins at home in the opening round, as they underwhelmed throughout.
Neither side could gain supremacy for much of an opening quarter which featured a touchline skirmish that pitted England second rows past and future – Jonny Hill and Junior Kpoku – against each other and a hooked drop-goal shot from Racing fly-half Dan Lancaster.
But after repelling Racing from a similarly promising attacking platform, Sale made territory count as Jean-Luc du Preez battered his way over around the remnants of a driven line-out.
Racing, who have had a patchy start to their Top 14 season but are three-time runners-up in this competition, rarely threatened to get their expensively assembled side into gear.
Henry Arundell, ineligible for England since he extended his contract with the Parisians after the 2023 World Cup, spilled a routine pass. Sale started to win scrum penalties against the heavier French pack.
The home front row provided immaculate set-piece ball for Sale’s second try, with George Ford looping out the back after Rob du Preez’s line had fixed the defence and, via Carpenter, putting Roebuck into the corner to nudge Sale 12 unanswered points clear.
Racing’s route back was less intricate. The visitors leaned into their considerable bulk and a succession of heavy cavalry charges culminated in prop Guram Gogichashvili picking through the wreckage to score on the stroke of half-time.
Sale’s lead was cut to five, but they kept the upper hand. Luke Cowan-Dickie was held up over the line shortly after the restart before an aimless kick from Racing’s Antoine Gibert was brilliantly snaffled by Roebuck. The wing cantered through before carefully putting Carpenter under the posts for a 19-7 advantage.
Ben Curry marked a busy performance by bustling over for a try and, with Racing flanker Maxime Baudonne having been sin-binned for illegally stopping a Sale surge on the previous play, the game was done.
The main remaining interest was in the subplots involving England Test wannabes.
Sale came out on top in those as well, with Roebuck dumping Arundell to his shorts with a thumping hit two minutes from time.
‘One of our best defensive performances’
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson: “We just wanted to be on it for longer defensively this week. I think we were, that was one of our best defensive performances.
“We are a little more connected and we have a little more bite to us when the collision comes, when we have to ‘find the monster’. We were lacking some bite, and I feel like we have it back.”
Player of the match Ben Curry: “My favourite moment was Tom Roebuck’s tackle on Henry Arundell. Henry is not a small boy, a great player, but I was very impressed with Roebuck tonight, he showed a different side of him which perhaps coaches have questioned. I was really happy for him.
“The work he puts in day in and day out doesn’t get seen. He is knocking on the door.
“He was very disappointed after the summer – he came on against Japan and played really well and to get dropped, hit him really hard.
“You can start feeling sorry for yourself or you can show people what you can do. He has gone multiple steps forward since the summer.” – BBCSport
A.I
Dec. 14, 2024
Tags: Jean-Luc du Preez Tom Roebuck
