Guess who?

Sale are an exciting side and, from a feminine point of view, their backs have to be the best bit of eye candy in the Premiership - Mark Cueto, Luke McAllister and the gorgeous Oriol Ripol to name but 3!

 

Anyway back to the match - I arrived at the East Stand only to be greeted by the sight of Gordon Ross kicking a ball - perfect 50m kicks into the hands of Rod Penney. (Why can't he do that when he plays?) I was only slightly reassured by the No 24 on his bib and only relaxed when the team announcement clearly said Glen Jackson at 10. It had been widely suggested on the Sale board that Charlie Hodgson would play (after his less than arduous 10 minutes on Saturday) but Phillippe Saint Andre obviously felt happy with his original suggestion and there was no Charlie.

 

We had to endure the embarrassing Sensation trying to get a few sad people to do a silly dance to "Hey Baby" (when will they learn that we want to watch a rugby match not play party games) and then in bright sunshine and calm air (where was the forecast storm?) Luke McAllister got the game underway.

 

Almost straight away the ball went into touch for a Sarries throw on their own 22. Up stepped Kyriacou - and threw straight as a die to Chris Jack to loud applause. Sale kept up the pressure and Cueto put Ripol through down the lefthandside (straight past me mmm) but he put a foot in touch when a try looked on. Up stepped Kyriacou deep into the Sarries 22 - again a long throw, straight as a die, safely caught and cleared. Again the ball came back into the Sarries 22, another line out , another excellent Kyriacou throw and this time a Sarries penalty allowed Jackson to clear into the Sale half for a fourth Sarries line out - and another clean take.

 

After 7 minutes of pressure Sale were awarded a penalty in front of the posts just inside the Sarries half but McAllister's kick hit the post allowing Jackson to clear. Sarries first attack of the match followed when Ratavou picked up the ball but his pass was forward. The resulting scrum was won, just, by Sale (Sheridan was already being missed) and Chabal, Sale's own wild man of Edgeley Park, carried well only to be penalised for not releasing. Jackson's kick to touch led to another exemplary line out which released Haughton. Sarries had weathered Sale's early pressure and now had their first sustained attack into the Sale 22. We'd seen more rugby played in the first 10 minutes than in the whole of the game against Quins (or for that matter the England game too). The resulting scrum brought a kickable penalty which Jackson duly slotted. 3-0

 

From the restart Sarries weathered more pressure from Sale defending well. They were lucky when a Jackson clearance was charged down but ran over the dead ball line. Then after 19 minutes Sarries carried the ball into the Sale 22 again. A mix up in midfield led to Ben Skirving picking up the ball and scooting down the far touch line to score. Jackson missed the conversion (his only blemish of the afternoon) but Sarries led 8-0. Already the extra pace in the back row was paying dividends.

 

Chris Mayor replaced Julien Laharrague on the Sale wing (another nice looking chap!). Sarries secured ball from the kick off and managed to drive Sale back into their own half. Cencus Johnson was looking particularly belligerent and his carry secured Sarries another penalty on the Sale 10m line out on the right but Jackson never looked like missing.  11-0

 

Sale continued to attack and there were several knock ons from both sides and some lovely deep kicks to touch from both fly halves (are you watching JBW?) The Sarries scrum was looking secure with both Kyriacou & Barrell faring well and refreshingly no penalties conceded. Eventually Sarries stole a Sale line out. A nice break by Scarborough got the ball out to Penney. Then like a mighty Chieftain tank came Cencus Johnston picking up the ball and heading for the try line. His pass to de Kock was deliberately knocked on and Jackson again kicked the points. 14-0

 

From the restart Sarries secured the ball. A nice exchange between Ratuvou & Haughton took the ball up to the Sale 22. Sale defended well under sustained Sarries pressure but eventually de Kock flicked the ball behind his back and the ball came out on the right wing to who else but our new winger Cencus Johnson who took off like an Exocet, powered his way past 3 Sale defenders (it would have taken a whole regiment to stop him) and over the line. Jackson's conversion made it 21-0 with 5 minutes to go to half time. Flags were waving, the crowd were buoyant and Sale must have wondered what was going on, after all they'd had most of the territory and most of the ball and here they were 3 scores down.

 

From the restart Sale looked dangerous and attacked the Sarries try line. The ball went back and forth across the field but it looked like Sarries defence would hold - and again no penalties conceded. Then finally Sale's own version of the Char d'assault, Sebastian Chabal powered over from close range to score. McAllister converted to leave the half time score 21-7.

 

Mr Tim Lightfoot performed superbly in the half time hang-time competition (which is more than can be said for the Sensations - but enough)

 

And so to the second half. Could Sarries hold it together? It's a long time since they put 2 good halves together in the same match. Surely the inevitable lapse would come.

 

The half began with more Sale pressure and attacks from Mayor and the lovely Oriol Ripol orchestrated by Luke McAllister who oozed class and looked very at home at fly half. Nick Lloyd was bloodied and Visagie came on as a replacement. Still Sarries held out. Dan Scarborough escaped into the Sale half but was tackled and again Sarries were under pressure. Again they held firm and won a line out which led to a promising attack which faltered when Powell's pass to Ratavou was too deep which meant he lost momentum and was bundled into touch.

 

After almost 15 minutes of the 2^nd half there had been no additions to the score. Ches was harshly penalised for not releasing and McAllister kicked for the corner. Lawson, Sale's replacement hooker threw well and won another penalty for his team from the line out. There was a half hearted bit of fisticuffs before McAllister kicked the penalty. 21-10

 

From the restart Sale won another penalty when Visagie was penalised when the ball was clearly out. McAllister kicked an excellent 3 points from wide on the left just inside the Sarries half. 21-13 and it all seemed to be going wrong again.

 

Lloyd returned and Cencus set off for the try line again but this time he was over eager and his pass to Ches was forward. Sarries began to look threatening with breaks from Powell,  Vyvyan & Haughton who won a penalty in front with 20 minutes to go which Jackson duly converted. 24-13

 

Sale replaced Chabal & Seveali'I with Cox & Ben Foden (back after injury - not bad if you like the rugged type!). A Jackson penalty kick looked to be going dead (he certainly thought so - his expletive was clearly heard in the East stand and most inappropriate it was for a trainee referee!) but must have caught a gust of wind and just landed the right side of the corner flag. Jack won the line out (Kyriacou had 100% record) and Kyriacou headed for the line but just put a foot in touch. Sale cleared the ball.

 

Sarries knocked on in midfield but before the scrum could form Jackson appeared to be floored by culprit unknown. The touch judge of course saw nothing & the decision stood. Fortunately Jackson was OK. Russell replaced Ratavou who had had a better afternoon than of late. Sale secured the ball and McAllister ran though a void in the Sarries midfield and looked certain to score before a try saving tackle from Haughton. Sale battered the Sarries line but again they stood firm and again no penalties were conceded until the referee penalised Sale for crossing and Jackson secured a good touch.

 

Kyriacou appeared to be struggling with cramp but again threw well and Sarries secured the line out which led to Penney making a break. Scarborough and Russell were with him and a try seemed certain but his pass to Scarborough was adjudged forward, (couldn't tell from my seat but what a miss). Cairns replaced Kyriacou who had looked solid, thrown well and made us all wonder why he's had so little game time over the past few months.  From the resulting play Sale won a penalty for off side wide on the Sarries 22. McAllister kicked for the corner. From the line out Sarries offended again. Again McAllister put the ball in the corner. From the 2^nd line out Sarries repelled the catch and drive and were eventually rewarded with a penalty of their own which Jackson kicked to touch.

 

Cairn's first throw was stolen by Sale and despite good defence Sarries conceded another penalty which Sale took quickly. The ball found its way to McAllister via a couple of half hearted tackles and was kicked forward over the try line. Powell seemed to have it covered but the lovely Ripol showed he's more than a pretty face steaming up on the outside to touch down for a Sale try. McAllister converted from the touchline and with 3 ½ minutes left the score was 24-20. Surely we were not going to lose it at the death again.

 

From the restart Sarries won a scrum in the Sale 22. "Hang on to the ball" we said. Had they watched Wales & Scotland run down the clock yesterday? Had they hell. Barrell, Russel & Vyvyan all made runs for the try line but with 20 seconds left Sarries knocked on and Sale had the ball. To make matters worse Sale were awarded a penalty as time ran out. They ran the ball. Powell pushed McAllister several feet backwards as Sale tried to make progress but they couldn't break out of their own half and with 6 players lying flat out on the half way line de Kock stole the ball and Jackson kicked it out.

 

It was an entertaining game and, as always, Sarries did it the hard way. Cencus Johnson was awarded man of the match and who could deny him that but Haughton, Kyriacou, Skirving, Jack and Lloyd all had excellent games. Barrell was promising and the back row secured some quick ball. Scarborough made a fair stab of outside centre and looks a better option than anything else we have at the moment, in the absence of Sorrell. Haughton again had a superb game and Ratavou, who wasn't helped by some dodgy passing, looked to be coming back into form. But there were still too many errors, too many knock-ons and too many missed opportunities.

 

Sale missed their internationals - the scrum was on the back foot all afternoon and although McAllister looked top class, he missed Hodgson, his partner in crime. And what can I say about Ripol? Fast, dangerous, gorgeous. But a win's a win and we mustn't be greedy. Onward and upward to Welford Road next week. And let's hope auntie's present is another pleasant surprise.

 

Scorers: Saracens: Tries: Skirving (21min), Johnston (38). Conversion: Jackson. Penalty goals: Jackson 4 (14, 24, 35, 64). Sale Sharks: Tries: Chabal (40+1), Ripol (80+2). Conversions: McAlister 2. Penalty goals: McAlister 2 (58, 60). Scoring sequence (Saracens first): 3-0, 8-0, 11-0, 14-0, 21-0, 21-7 (half-time), 21-10, 21-13, 24-13, 24-20.

Saracens: R Haughton; R Penny, D Scarbrough, A Powell, K Ratuvou (rep: B Russell, 70); G Jackson, N de Kock; N Lloyd (rep; J Visagie, 47-61), A Kyriacou (rep: M Cairns, 74), C Johnston, C Jack, H Vyvyan, K Chesney (rep: P Gustard, 75), D Barrell, B Skirving.

Sale Sharks: M Cueto (rep: W Cliff, 75); J Laharrague (rep: C Mayor, 22), C Bell, E Seveali'i (rep: B Foden, 66), O Ripol; L McAlister, SMartens; L Faure, S Bruno (rep: S Lawson, 55), E Roberts (rep: T Sigley, 55), C Jones, D Schofield (rep: N Bonner-Evans, 70), JM Fernández-Lobbe, M Lund, S Chabal (rep; S Cox, 64).

Referee: D Richards.

Attendance: 8,712.

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