By Sarah Braide
December 23 2002

Oh dear. Where has our consistency gone this season? Every so often we come up with a great performance (and there must have been plenty to see us second in the league) but then we go and crash out of the Powergen Cup in a rubbish game against Saracens. In the site poll last week, 90% of voters said we should really go for the domestic trophy after failing to qualify for the next stage of the Heineken Cup. And Jim Mallinder named a side that seemed to be one of our strongest line-ups in weeks, with Charlie Hodgson back from injury, stars Bryan Redpath and Jason Robinson starting, and few injuries in the pack.

But how it all went wrong in the first half. Within the first quarter of an hour Saracens had scored a penalty and a Tom Shanklin try - quite a contrast to the ten minute, three try start Sale got against Sarries in November at Heywood Road. The Sale defence was weak and they were uncharacteristically poor whilst in possession.

Then prop Johnny Marsters dived over after being driven forward to the line and Thomas Castaignede converted. Adding insult to injury, Castaignede landed first a 54 metre penalty, then a drop goal, taking his side's lead to 23 points.

Sale's only response in the first half was a Charlie Hodgson penalty. They had squandered their own possession and presented little resistance to the Saracens attacks so there would have to be a lot of improvement in the second period if the twenty point deficit was to be overcome.

At least there was a prompt response to the half time talk. Sale capitalised on a moment of confusion amongst the Saracens players by sending Phil Davies over the line. Ten minutes later Charlie celebrated his return with a try. Jason Robinson failed to score after a Tim Horan mistake and it was Charlie who was there to finish the job. He also converted the score and added a penalty a few minutes later to bring Sale to within three points of the home side's total.

After coming so close, Sale just couldn't find a third try and Saracens eventually cemented victory with an Adryan Winnan penalty in the 70th minute.

Jim Mallinder was rightly unimpressed.

"It is disappointing to lose any game in a manner such as that. We are meant to be professional but we didn't play like professionals.

"We made a few changes at half time and we were a different side," he said after the match.

So we are out of the Powergen Cup and have only the Prmiership to concentrate on. At least we won't be moaning about fixture congestion next spring. Now, if possible, let's forget about the nightmare of the first half and go into the Bristol away match with a positive attitude.

Sale team: Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto, Dan Harris, Graeme Bond, Steve Hanley, Charlie Hodgson (Vaughan Going, 68), Bryan Redpath (capt), Jim Thorp (Kevin Yates, 40), Johnny Roddam (Charl Marais, 40), Barry Stewart, Iain Fullarton, Chris Jones, Phil Davies (Alex Sanderson, 52), Pete Anglesea, Stuart Pinkerton (Richard Wilks, 58).

Saracens: Adryan Winnan, Gerald Arasa, Tom Shanklin, Tim Horan (Andy Goode, 77), Darragh O'Mahony, Thomas Castaignede (Kevin Sorrell, 52), Kyran Bracken (capt), Christian Califano, Matt Cairns, Johnny Marsters (Joe Ross, 65), Stuart Hooper, Craig Yandell, Tony Rocques (Ryan Peacey, 65), Kris Chesney (Ben Skirving, 80), Richard Hill.