Tigers had slightly the better of the opening exchanges, with Flood kicking a penalty seven minutes in, but we are very much in contention, with Johne Murphy failing to deal with a high kick and setting up a Sale scrum on the Tigers 5 metre line. After a period of pressure though, we knock on, and the chance is lost. The deadlock is broken when Tigers kick a penalty to touch, work the ball right from the lineout and a missed tackle lets Johne Murphy run round under the posts. Although Flood narrowly misses the conversion, we are 8-0 down after the first quarter.

The game has already taken shape by now. We try hard, with some nice moments from Gaskell and Hodgson, but can’t quite get things to gel. We lose possession, or make unforced errors, and we can never sustain pressure on the Tigers’ line. A Wiggy break puts Ben Cohen over, but the try is disallowed. Still, Tigers blow a two man overlap to keep us in the game, and an exchange of penalties just after the half hour gets us off the mark, but Tigers definitely have the upper hand when the teams go in for half time.

A few minutes into the second half, we have multiple phases of possession but can’t penetrate an aggressive Tigers defence. We make little ground, and eventually lose the ball. Tigers kick to touch but we mess up the lineout on our own 22 and some brisk passing between charging forwards puts Ben Kay over on the left. Flood converts successfully and it’s 18-6.

We have a brighter spell now, and set up some good attacking positions- a scrum on the Tigers’ 22, a penalty kicked to the corner, but again we can’t get through the defence. Eventually, we take the three points. We continue to play adventurous rugby. A Wiggy box kick is touched by a Tigers hand and goes vertical. Charlie gathers and makes good ground with a lovely jinking break. A few minutes later, Marika fields a high kick in our 22, beats the first defender and makes a strong run upfield. We work the ball to Charlie, but his cross kick goes straight into touch. After the lineout, Tigers win a penalty, kick to the corner and roll the maul over the line for Lewis Moody to score. Flood converts and, an hour in and 25-6 down, for the first time one or two Sale heads start to drop.

Still, we may as well give it a go. Again, we camp in the Tigers’ half but can’t crack them. We kick a penalty to the corner and in some desperate defence, Leicester’s Ben Woods is yellow carded. Eventually, Tigers get a free kick and put it into touch on our ten metre line. We overthrow the lineout, Tigers set up an attacking position, and we can’t escape the suffocating pressure. We stop Harry Ellis two metres short, and three defenders haul down Tuilagi five metres out. We have one last chance to ease the pressure but knock on and Tigers have a scrum on our 22. They feed Scott Hamilton, who is stopped, but at the cost of a penalty advantage. Tigers take a scrum, there is a series of resets and Rob O’Donnell goes into the sin bin. We must be very close to conceding a penalty try but, a man down in the scrum, Tigers drive over and Jordan Crane touches down. Flood converts with the last kick of the match.

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