Tigers Chip Away At The Big Fish!

Sale Report
By Stopsy
April 10 2005

An unadventurous trip down except to remark on the incredible capacity of 4 somewhat excited 12 year old lads to make a deafening cacophony in the car. Last year we attended this same fixture when Sale had the bad grace to beat us ......

.....and subject me to a dreadful trip back surrounded by smirking Sale fans.
And so to the game, would Sale play the team announced earlier in the week by St Andre? why not? it would surprise everyone if he did. True to form, he didn't.
Sale kicked off, the ball was safely gathered and played up the field with some assured looking play. Hanley looked suspect under the high ball and then Sale attacked, Cueto came in from his wing and stepped inside Alesana
Tuilagi who tried to take him out with his shoulder rather than make a tackle. Cueto was through and under the sticks, Hercus duly converted and after 6 minutes we were 7 points down. Tigers came back but there was little fluency to the game until some Forward pressure near the Sale line allowed Goode to drop a goal. 3 - 7. Sale then landed a penalty and we still looked disjointed. Hanley hit the line at speed and Cueto was lurking on the right wing for the long pass kick to the corner.
Gradually Tigers dragged themselves together and awarded a lineout went for the catch and drive. Initially it was Chuter who played Back's role, the maul then shunted right and Moody took over to go over for the try. Boring bl**dy Leicester, driving maul every time. Goode converted from wide out with a strange kick that seemed to change angle in mid flight. 10 - 10 and the game was beginning to come together.
Sale then pressed the first of two self destruct buttons, awarded a defensive line out after a great kick from Goode, Sale chose to throw over the top, yours truly had just noted Moody waiting like a greyhound in the slips, guess who got there first? the ball was recycled quickly and went down the line for Lloyd to scoot over, Goode again adding the extras from out wide. Self destruct button two then followed, a Sale line out near the half way was palmed back to Redpath, Moody streaked forward and Redpath stepped inside, stopped and then delivered an inch perfect pass to Goode who set off up the pitch at pace for a try and subsequent conversion. Tempers were beginning to fray, Chabal decided that punching Johnno in front of the linesman was a good idea, the linesman obviously agreed as he did nothing about it.
	Johnno answered in the best fashion by going over for the team's fourth try in 16 minutes. Tigers also went over the line or close another 3 times demonstrating incredible sharpness in the back line. 31 - 10 at half time. Sale seemed to have conceded that the game was lost and opted for damage limitation, pick and go was the new order of the day and pretty successful it was too.
Tigers defence held but was being battered backward, then the ref blew up and Chris Jones then decided to put the boot on a Tigers player, not the smartest move in the book. Penalty to Tigers, Goode to touch, lineout ball back to Goode who broke beautifully and delivered an excellent pass to Murphy on his right. Murphy straightened his man and delayed until releasing Alesana Tuilagi for another try. 38 - 10.
Sale kept the pressure on and Cueto scored from a nicely worked blindside move. 38 - 15. Varndell then restored the points difference with a great try in the left corner. Touchline conversion from that chap who's not good enough to get on much for Iggerlund. Ian B will have to pad this next bit out with lots of pictures as the game became bogged down at the A&L end on the Crumbie side, well out of view {see the gallery}. Oh yes I forgot a yellow card for Rowntree for retaliation in a massive brawl, shortly followed by Jones for a late challenge on Goode. Where was the difference? The scrum was about even, the lineout went our way just. Tigers real advantage was in the half backs and centres where Sale were found wanting. So was this first against third in the league, given our record against the 12th placed sides, I'll take this any time. If you were the person in Welford Road who didn't have their autograph taken by the 4 lads, you were lucky. After anaesthetising their dads with some Guinness we packed into the fun bus for a more pleasant journey home. My man of the match - Goodey but what a cracking performance by the whole squad.