Photo Simon Robinson

By Aidan Preece
October 25 2009

A late Charlie Hodgson penalty secured a losing bonus point for a lack lustre Sale who for some reason decided to leave it to the last two minutes to play any Rugby at all in what was a real conundrum of a game. In reality it was a point that should have been beyond the visiting side by halftime but for a lack of cohesion and precision from a Saints side that were similarly out of sorts.

Guinness Premiership Round 6

Northampton Saints 21 v Sale Sharks 16

Franklin's Gardens Saturday 24th October  KO 3pm

True, it would have been unfair to expect this contest to reach the heights of the last two weeks of Heineken Cup action but for whatever reason the post Munster and Cardiff blues seemed to haunt both sides.

Saints had the best of the early exchanges playing into a stiff wind but towards their favoured South Stand. Lobbe, Tonga'uiha, and the increasingly impressive Dowson made significant inroads in to a Sharks defence that looked unwilling to commit too early to the breakdown. Shane Geraghty slotted a resulting penalty and Northampton were up and running.

With both sides feeling their way the kicking game dominated, whether the autumnal conditions influenced the tactics it wasn’t clear but the results were easily handled by both sides. One such kick from Geraghty was returned with interest and Hodgson’s conversion of a penalty for offside brought the scores level.

Saints continued to press Sale and were only prevented from scoring by their own shortcomings. Lee Dickson under pressure at the breakdown was by no means entirely innocent, and an all round general lack of accuracy began to frustrate the faithful onlooker. Indeed they looked fair set to score the opening try on fifteen minutes when Shane Geraghty kicked in behind the advancing Sale defence after a wriggling Chris Ashton made a break on halfway. The kick was just a couple of bounces too strong.

The list of Saintly misdemeanours continued, the odd wayward lineout, iffy knock on’s, missed passes and foolish penalties all killed promising moves from the home side and relieved a stubborn Sharks defence at vital moments.

One moment of madness however turned the whole encounter when Sale’s Antitele'a Tuilagi (just how many Tuilagi’s are there out there?) secured himself ten minutes in the cooler. Only nine minutes of the first half were left when Sale broke threateningly up field. The combined efforts of Mayor, Ashton and the touch line prevented anything further from developing. Tuilagi didn’t hide his disappointment.

Sale missed a chance to take the lead on thirty three minutes when Saints were caught on the wrong side and gave Hodgson a shot at a 6 – 3 lead. Hodgson missed as did Reihana only moments later for Northampton.

The stalemate looked set to continue longer than the recession when the Saints finally found it within themselves to take advantage of the extra man. Neil Best was the man of the moment as he wrestled the ball free at a maul and fed quick ball to the backs. Mayor did an excellent job at holding the Sale defence just long enough to create the space for Ben Foden to storm on to the pass. Foden was available to finish the move after Ashton came up just short of the line, Geraghty converted from the tightest of angles to take Saints into a 10 – 3 lead.

With thirty seconds of the first half left there was time for more as Saints again turned over Sale. Geraghty kicked deep in to the Sale twenty two and pressure from Ashton forced a lineout. From the restart Northampton piled forward Geraghty served Ashton who was in off his wing and a massive miss pass from the rising star found Reihana in space. Still with a man to beat the number eleven half broke the tackle to reach the try line. Geraghty this time missed the marginally easier conversion.

Talk at half time for the Saints fan’s was about the 15 – 3 lead and the possibility of a four try bonus point and to steady the early stages of the second half Geraghty kicked an easy 3 points when Sale got caught on the wrong side.

For all their dominance however Saints couldn’t prevent a mini fight back from the Cheshire side. Curiously after an encouraging show in the first half the Saints scrum seemed helpless to prevent a surge from Sale that resulted in the ball squirting from the mêlée, Gaskell reacted quickest and handed Hodgson an easy conversion to leave Sale only 8 points behind.

Further moments of angst for home supporters followed when Tuilagi chased a clearance kick after a Mayor knock on, the danger only being averted as the ball bounced perilously close to the try line.

Saints continued to have the better of the contest and Courtney Lawes caught the eye with his athletic charges and remarkable ball recovery skills, however continued stout defensive work from Sale kept the scoreboard attendant idle. In fact buttons weren’t pressed on the control panel until thirteen minutes from time.

Mark Easter on for Neil Best gifted Hodgson a chance to narrow the lead by handling the ball in the ruck and Hodgson duly obliged. Easter went to the bin as did Sale’s Cockbain only minutes later, this time Stephen Myler recovering the advantage.

Sale with a victory apparently beyond them finally loosened the shackles as the match entered the dying minutes and breaking away from their own twenty two secured a final penalty and the aforementioned bonus point.

Highlights included some wonderful handling skills from substitute Ansbro and the sight of Tonga'uiha attempting to take the ball and half of Stockport towards the try line. Myler’s late arrival served to remind us that the Saints have real quality at 10 and I don’t want to sway voting for this week MOTM but Chris Ashton’s new found maturity on the pitch continues to impress and his understanding with Geraghty might one day prove of use not just to Northampton.