2005-2006 season review Pt. 3

By pitprop
August 21 2006

With the Six Nations looming, Sale's season showed signs of stuttering. Cue part 3 of pitprop's review of the season: tales of excitment, anxiety, anguish and elation as we head towards the top prize in the domestic game. How will it all end? Read on...

 

 

The third part of the season began with the four GP games during the 6 Nations period. Could Sale continue their recovery from the mental and physical beating sustained at Thomond Park? Could the team continue their good run of Premiership results without their current internationals (3 wins out of four in the Autumn period)? Could we stay at the top of the league during a period in which we had suffered badly the previous season? Would the remaining personnel have the talent, team spirit and tenacity to triumph over the teams trailing them?

Our journey of discovery continued at Sixways on Saturday 11th February 2006. Courrent, whom Elvis called the 'little magician', came in at flyhalf, Ripol on the right wing, Hanley on the left, Faure at loosehead, Nacho in the second row, Jonesy started a run of games at blindside, and Carter made his reappearance at No. 7 while Lund rested a knock. For the supporter, these changes had a ring of solid steel about them - no makeweights these boys. And it was Courrent who started the try-scoring, waving his wand over the game with a neat grubber and gather. Faure was next, storming forward for Schoey to finish it off. The Wuss fightback came on 25 mins, as first Havili and then Drahm made the line. Courrent's restart seemed to cause mayhem among the Warrior forwards, and Titterrell was able to dart over the line. With the relevant penalties and conversions, the Sharks went into the dressing room leading 27-23.

Courrent also sparked the fourth try, his break supported by Chabal with Lilo going over wide out - the bonus point was secure! Ripol was next in the act, latching on to Hanley's pass and the big Cumbrian's trademark sprint down the left wing provided the sixth. Worcester pulled one back, prior to Hanley's effort, from fullback Leroux. Carter was 'got at', injured in the 52nd minute to bring a premature end to his season. Jason Robinson took a severe blow to the head from a knee, and was knocked out. To the relief of all, he got up and was supported from the pitch. Good performances from the draftees, underlining the strength in depth at the club. The final score was 48-33, and the Sharks were still top of the food chain!

Six days later and the EP faithful were out in their droves, close to filling the ground for the local derby against the Tykes. Quates and Sheri were purloined from the England set-up for the evening, and Lund restored to the line-up. With Marshal selected for the Tykes, perhaps it was a diplomatic decision on PSA's behalf to omit Lionel!! Tykes, under severe pressure at the foot of the table, struck hard and fast, with Thomas following up Ross' high ball to score under the posts. Courrent kicked only one penalty before a shoulder injury ended his appearance, bringing Charlie on to the pitch. Despite good pressure, even Charlie was unable to breach Leeds' defence, and the interval came with the score 6-10 to the visitors. After the break, Sale eventually reduced the error count, and Chris Mayor cut in from the left wing to score, which eased Sale into the lead. Tykes would not lie down though, and on 72 minutes Ross scraped over and converted. When Biggs caught a bouncing ball to score 4 minutes later it looked as though Tykes' first win over Sale was a certainty. And then Lazarus stirred.......... Just after fulltime Cueto fed Lund who went over wide on the right, and then Mayor cut in from the left for his second. With Leeds looking left and right, Wiggy sneaked through in the middle for his first try for the club. Lazarus was up and running, and Sale's former Jets won a game they should have lost, and snatched a bonus point!

On the 25th February, Big Tam led the Jocks to a win over the auld enemy, and Wasps judicious scheduling of their game for the Sunday led to bench-warmers Dallaglio, Shaw and Voyce turning out at the Causeway against Sale. The talented Wiggy filled in at No 10 for the Sharks, Coutts came in on the loosehead, Bonner-Evans took over from Seabass, and Robbo made his reappearance after his Worcester head knock. Despite good Wasps pressure Taylor's pass put fellow centre Todd in for the first try on Sale's first incursion into the Wasps 22. Wiggy promptly goaled the conversion and followed it with two penalties. Sale led 13-9 at halftime. Wiggy's accuracy dropped off after the break, and the insects wheeled out the big guns. They were soon in action, creating tries for Birkett and Hoadley. And Sale's own big gun, Chabal was spiked by Mayhem's red card for stamping on Dallaglio, compounding the felony by spitting. Lol then needled Jonesy into a penalty reverse, and van Gisbergen put the game out of bonus point reach for Sale, winning 16-26. The only bright spot was Seabass' lenient sentence of five weeks, and Leicester's loss, as Wasps clawed back four premiership points from us.

The defeat at Wasps and the in/out nature of selection seemed to have taken the team off the boil. The London branch's visit was next up, as usual they were mired in the pack, with some ambiguity at the top - Diamond gone, Mick Ford linked with England, Eddie Jones in as a very recently arrived consultant. On a wet pitch play eddied to and fro until Johnston was put in by former Sale lock Raiwalui on the right wing. Sale won the forward battle and Courrent kicked three penalties to give a hopeful score line at halftime of 9-7. The second half was a scrappy affair with just a Jackson try and a penalty to show for a 9-15 loss, the first at EP for nearly a year. We stayed top, though Leicester closed in while Wasps fell at Wuss. Eddie Jones had had a salutary effect on Sarries, and not only that, his eyes had fallen on our Aussie prop (who could in fact scrummage and cleaned out like a JCB). It would not be long before 'Donk' was spirited off to the Queensland Reds. Unheralded, another of the squad made his last appearance in this game - Robert Todd damaged an old injury and it was later announced that he'd been diagnosed with cancer. Toddy was one of PSA's first signings, and quickly became a bulwark in the centre. He is a veteran of 107 Premiership games for us, Gloucester and London Irish, and will compete just as strongly against his illness as he did against his rugby opponents. He has the good wishes of the Rugby community on his side.

In the fortnight before the next GP game, the final round of the 6 Nations took place. In a pulsating game at Twickenham, Ireland lifted the Triple Crown, winning 28-24. Sheri came off on 68 minutes, and it was later revealed that he had been allowed to go into the game with a neck injury, without a scan. Back at the club a scan revealed sufficient injury to cause concern over his playing future, and ended his season at a critical time in the Sale's two campaigns. The club's management did not hold back in their criticism of the national side.

On 25th March Sale met London Irish in the delayed St Patrick's Day game. In front of 20,000 at the Madjetski, Sale went into the game with their internationals back, looking to erase the memory of the last two defeats (a fortunate combination of results kept them still at the top of the table), and needing a good performance with the Heineken Cup quarter final looming. Charlie booted Sale into the lead with an eighth minute penalty. Lund's education continued when he allowed Magne to strip the ball from him on the floor, and Tagicakibau danced away from Jason to score. Robbo had previously sustained a groin injury and then limped off to be replaced by Mayor. Flutey's boot was letting Irish down, but, after a dart for the line, he was awarded a try although grounding the ball on Wiggy's boot. Following another Hodgson penalty Delon Armitage was put away to score LI's third. The halftime score line was 12-15.

The second half involved a great deal of commitment from the Cheshire club, as back after back picked up injuries. Frank stepped awkwardly on to a triangular advertising bolster, Wiggy was taken out late, and others (including Charlie) took heavy knocks. Yet despite the continual reorganisation, the Sharks fought hard. 5 minutes in Titterrell was driven over. Catty picked up two penalties, before White kicked a loose ball through, marginally offside but unseen by the ref, Charlie sprinted after the ball, setting up a ruck to feed Hanley on the left wing, who scored. Sale's lineout was under siege, although otherwise the pack was going well, and the team fighting hard for the win. Seven minutes later Hanley was at it again, latching on to Courrent pass to seal it 29-21. The result didn't seem to spoil the party!

The team left early in the week for PSA's stamping ground, and over the rest of the week every flight landing at Bordeaux round to Santander had Sale fans on board. Many stayed in Biarritz, many in San Sebastian, but all seemingly had a fantastic stay. Out-numbered about 15 to 1, nevertheless we made out presence felt in the Estadio Anoeta. Quarters of the European Cup, and quicker than PSA's planning had envisaged? Your correspondent had doubts about the result, it seemed unreal to think of a home Heineken semi. Yet the team had no doubts, from the way they set out. For twenty minutes it was a full-blooded, toe-to-toe scrap, and then Yachvili and Charlie exchanged penalties. Yachvili got a second, and suddenly Bobo was blazing down the left wing rounding the out-of-sorts Cueto to touch down. Charlie subsequently had to put a try-saving tackle in on Harinordoquy, and halftime came with BO leading 3-11. Yet the game did not seem out of Sale's reach. Neither team had yet caught fire, and both defences were overshadowing the attacks. Charlie's talent could surely bring this one round, particularly with Yachvili in the bin. Sale continued to attempt to make ground around the fringes, but Biarritz were adept at slowing it down sufficiently for their defence to realign, and Sale never looked like breaching it. Charlie's boot clawed back another three points with 6 minutes to go, but too little too late, and Sale lost 6-11. In retrospect the game plan was not sufficiently adventurous to trouble BO, and the confidence needed by the team to beat the French champions was in short supply. The Heineken Cup was not yet within our grasp - another disappointing weekend.

There was no time to dwell on the San Sebastian result, although PSA and Kingsley felt that the media was over-critical of Sale's effort in the Basque country. Six days later, Glos came to call, with their young guns ready to blaze. Chabal missed out again and NBE deputised at a late stage, Jonesy moving up to the second row. Wiggy got the call at No 9, and Hanley replaced Larry in the starting line-up. It was also Jason's 500th game of professional rugby. Ryan Lamb, making his first premiership start for Gloucester, almost stole the show though, kicking four penalties to Charlie's one in the first half, and booting his fifth shortly after the break to give the Kingsholmers a 3-15 lead. Sale, playing a more expensive game despite a squally day, went close several times, dominating possession in the latter stages following the arrival of Bruno & Turner into the front row. Charlie slowly but surely hauled us back into it with the wind behind him, notching up the penalties, until he picked up an injury in the 68th minute. It was left to Wiggy to kick a no-nonsense penalty to draw Sale level, and Captain Billy Whiz to drop the goal that put us into the winning lead, 18-15. The replacement Mercier had a last minute chance to level, but his kick was poor. Ryan should have left Lamb on! Not pretty, too many errors, insufficient quick ball, but a very gutsy win. We also guaranteed HC rugby at EP next season - we had been out of Europe for just six days!

Surely Sale could pull off a win at Kingston Park in the next game to end the hoodoo. Squeaky's mob were not doing too well in the league, but the meeting between the two sides usually produced some scores. Both Coutts and Faure had knocks, so Jet Eifion Roberts made his debut. White, Jonesy, Schoey, Hodgson, Taylor and Cueto were rested. Sale started well, a sweeping passing move allowing Nacho to gallop over in the left corner, and Tino added the conversion points. He then traded penalties with Burke, before young Eifion was caught for "lazy running", and picked up his first GP yellow. Falcons quickly capitalised with Long being driven over. Robbo seemed to have caught the bug, as he dropped another goal to take us into the interval leading 16-13. Hopes were raised further after the break when Lilo's long pass sent Ripol over in the right corner. Newcastle replied with two tries for May, both converted by Burke. Martens saw yellow on 65 minutes and the home side immediately took advantage, with Parling going over. Sale lost 21-32, and their only consolation was Wasps failure at our London branch. Leicester meanwhile were charging, two wins in eight days, pushing us all the way.

Friday 28th April was the day Bath came to visit. A win would guarantee a home semi for the play offs, and PSA turned out the big guns to ensure it. Bath had come to play open rugby, and made several incursions in the first half. Hodgson was more pragmatic, kicking three penalties. Malone gathered his own chip ahead and scored under the posts. Halftime score 9-7. Charlie picked up another penalty before a sidestep took him past Malone and over the line. Bath put on pressure and reduced the deficit when Hudson scored on the right side. Once again it was left to Chris Mayor to start the late show, as he waltzed through some poor Bath defence for a try on 76 minutes. Two minutes later, Cueto ran in a try from long range, and Jones followed suit, chipping and catching for his, and the bonus point. The result cemented top spot for the Sharks, and a home semi-final against the fourth-placed team. Leicester were moving into second, and Wasps and Gloucester scrapping for third and fourth.

The final league game took place at Franklins Gardens. Saints had already secured the last Heinie spot, so not a great deal rested on the result, though no-one told our boys that. PSA gave Faure, Nacho and Day a run in the pack, and the backline of Foden, Hodgson, Hanley, Mayor, Cueto, Ripol and Robinson must have been one of the fastest we've ever fielded. Sale were into their stride quickly, kicking the corners, pinning the Saints back. On 20 minutes Nacho was driven over, and five minutes later Foden's pace took him through the centre on a diagonal line to score. Jason's fizzing break then put Hanley away. Charlie, having kicked a couple of conversions and passed 1000 points in the premiership (only the sixth player to have done so) was subbed by Courrent, and we led 19-13 at the break. Courrent sent his selection reminder for the playoffs back to PSA when he supported Foden's break to score the bonus point try. Five of the younger players came on as subs, which unfortunately started to disrupt the effort. Spencer then Reihana pulled tries back for Northampton, bringing them to within two points. Unusually Robbo collected a yellow card, and then Browne and Quinlan scored for Saints. Disrupted but nonetheless determined Sale worked an opening for Ripol to score, easing the pressure. Cohen's late try brought it back to a two point margin, Sale winning by 36-34.

A fantastic league season saw us run out leaders by 6 points, our best ever performance. But due to the convoluted rules, we had won nothing yet. In the semi we were to meet Wasps, who could do no better than fourth. The ground sold out in double quick time for the match, and the atmosphere going in was certainly the most intense experienced at EP for this incident-packed Sale game. From Charlie's kick-off, Jason White leapt like a salmon to reclaim the ball, Wasps fell offside and Charlie kicked 3 points within a minute of the game's start. Nacho was similarly caught a couple of minutes later and van Gisbergen kicked the penalty, although he missed with one shortly after. On 11 minutes occurred one of those moments - those that live long in the memory. Dallaglio took the ball up and unwisely picked out Seabass. The Frenchman's demeanour spoke only of revenge - he drove in low, wrapped his arms around his target, picked up, kept driving, rolled him over and planted him (hard) into the turf. At the same time Nacho clamped the ball, followed the duo down and robbed the ball cleanly. Welcome to EP, Lol! The crowd, already smouldering, just burst into flame!

Two minutes later one of our own hard men, Jason White, was knocked unconscious in a tackle on Joe Ward. He sat up, shook his head, climbed to his feet and carried on as if nothing had occurred. Charlie then picked up another penalty, before Voyce broke away only to pull up with a hamstring injury. Shortly after Charlie went up to field Shaw's kick and chase. Charlie caught the ball and the lock caught the flyhalf - both were off the ground, but no penalty ensued. Our flyhalf seemed to have sustained a rib injury, and the doc appeared feeding him painkillers. He winced at every subsequent kick, but bless him, he continued to play. On the half hour Robbo received a static pass from Titterrell just inside the Sale half. Jason accelerated in an arc that went outside Birkett and inside Waters, then described a semi-circle around the rooted van Gisbergen, before fending off Lewsey to score. The Cheadle End erupted. A little later Billy Whiz clashed heads with Frank - the game was taking a toll. Van Gisbergen shanked an easy penalty attempt to end the half at 16-3 to Sale.

The second half started with a Van Gisbergen penalty, and Charlie promptly replied. VG kicked another. Thereafter the pace of the game slowed, as Sale kept it tight, the defence tackling like demons. Chabal obliterated Shaw on 54 as the lock twisted to attempt an inside pass - the crowd roared its approval! Wasps tried to grind out a score, and pressured the Sale line, until Sale upped the tempo in defence, and tackle by tackle, drove them back. It was like watching two Sumo wrestlers, with the blue one rocking the yellow and black one back onto his heels. Sale applied pressure late on, forcing another kickable penalty out of the Insects. Charlie converted his sixth kick out of six attempts, sore ribs or no. The crowd counted down with the clock, and the delight on Nacho's face (among many others) said it all. The three-times champions had been well-beaten, and we were off to Twickenham. Leicester were the opponents, and the lesson from history is that we'd met twice before at Twickenham, and Leicester had won both times. Third time lucky!

There was a fortnight between the semi and the final, and BK, still looking for his silverware, wanted something else too - atmosphere. Not content with the ambience at the Wasps game, the Munster anthems were in his sights. Martin Toal came to Edgeley Park to record "Can you hear the people sing?" from Les Mis, and we took it to HQ with us. The Sale support was making their presence felt as the stadium filled up, and out-shouted the more numerous Tiger fans. The team looked up for it, focus and intense, while Leicester seemed more offhand - its funny how anything is latched on to as an omen.

The selection was pretty much our strongest available, with Faure at No 1, Nacho starting, and Wiggy behind the scrum. Drizzle fell throughout, and Sale adjusted to that better than their opponents. The game started and very quickly Charlie was knocking over the first three points. Five minutes later, his kick to the corner had Cueto and Murphy battling for it, the ball bounced off Frank's leg and he followed up to score. Almost immediately Charlie had a clearance charged down and Moody scooped the ball over the line for a try. This didn't seem to affect Sale, and Wiggy broke tight to a ruck and prodded on. Magnus poked it on and waited until it stood up before crashing over with Moody in close attendance. The TMO, for the third time in the game, awarded the try. Charlie and Goode exchanged penalties, before surges by Seabass and White took us deep into the Leicester 22. Hodgson took it going right, with just Tuilangi in attendance. The Samoan took the bait hook line and sinker, Charlie stepped through and fed Ripol for the try. 23-10 at half time.

Leicester came out steaming in the second half, and Goode started the scoreboard ticking. Charlie inevitably would not be outdone, kicking two and increasing the lead. The usual raft of substitutions occupied the middle of the second period, but it was Charlie's boot that continued the scoring. First a penalty and then a drop goal, each point a nail in the Tigers' coffin. Leicester stirred, and Hamilton dived through a ruck to score, but there was no realistic route back. On 80 minutes, the all-action Magnus claimed a loose ball and looped the ball over a defender into the waiting Mayor's hands. He hit the gas, and 70 metres late he scored our fourth try. In an echo of the team spirit that had obviously pervaded the team all season, Charlie handed the ball to the newly arrived Valentin Courrent, and he kicked the conversion in his last game for the club, at Twickenham, winning a championship! And the celebrations began!! Nacho (who else!) led the team in the turf-diving in front of the supporters in the West stand. The players were joyful, gleeful and uninhibited in their revelry, and circled the stadium to acknowledge the fans. As the first man to win in both codes' grand finals lifted the cup, the fireworks started.

Sale were the first team to finish top of the league and to win the playoffs, and cemented their place at the top of the English tree. The club has even loftier ambitions, but those ambitions will only be realised when a talented team has gained sufficient experience and confidence to win in very difficult circumstances. There was no doubt that the pack had improved upon the previous season, and that the team had started to learn the difficult art of applying the iron hand of pack performance, and donning the velvet glove of sweeping back moves. Charlie's strong suit, after his passing, is his control of a game, and the team is very strong defensively, all essential ingredients of continued success. Although we've lost some players (including the important Coutts and Courrent), we have recruited strongly, and should challenge again both for the GP and the HC, despite a difficult group.

A final memory? BK stuffing the cup into the boot of his car on the Sunday. Any owner who wants to stick the trophy on his mantelpiece and wallow in his club's success is OK by me!

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