Wasps 25 Sale 32

Schofield: first try
By Sarah Braide
November 25 2002

Sale scored their first away win of the season on Sunday as they fought their way to a 32-25 win over Wasps at Adams Park. As a reward we moved up to second place in the Premiership table.

As Jim Mallinder tactfully said after full time, he "wouldn't describe the game as one for the neutral supporter", but the bottom line was a full five points for Sale thanks to their four try haul. Sale's style of open play did not suit the wet conditions but they managed to hold on during the first half, and then took full advantage of their attacking opportunities as the clock approached 80 minutes.

Alex King scored a couple of early penalty kicks and Nick Walshe got one for Sale. The first try, for Wasps winger Shane Roiser, came after just a quarter of an hour and following King's successful conversion, Sale were 10 points down.

Nick Walshe shrunk the gap with a penalty and then lock Dean Schofield crossed the line for his first ever Sharks try.

Alex King went off with a head injury at half-time so that certainly didn't do Wasps any favours. Chris Jones added to his season's try count by outwitting the defence with a little side step soon after the break, pushing Sale ahead of the home side. Mark van Gisbergen's penalty narrowed the gap to 2 points.

Steve Hanley was on hand to dash over the line following Vaughan Going's chip and Nick Walshe made the conversion. Sale gave away a lot of penalties as time went on, allowing van Gisbergen to kick nine more points and level out the scores. But with seven minutes of normal time remaining Wasps yielded to the pressure Sale had been putting on them and Mark Cueto was driven over for our fourth try of the match.

The win puts Sale second in the Premiership table, six points behind Gloucester and with Leeds and Leicester (!) hot on our heels. Things look good for next week's Bath game at Heywood Road, especially if Jason Robinson has recovered from the ear-drum damage he suffered during the England v South Africa game on Saturday.