Poor Show

If it's true the league table never lies we are in trouble. Despite the big money signings we now languish in ninth place with 37 points and, ironically for a team with so much international talent in  the backs, only two try bonus points all season.  

The team had a week in Tenerife to prepare for a cold wet windy Manchester. If they'd wanted to go abroad they might have been better off going to Glasgow to acclimatise.

Sale had little trouble in dominating the physical better and looked a much better, if limited, outfit.

Danny Cipriani produced a bit of skill now and then, and it  was enough to run up a 23-6 win for the Sharks. All we had tyo show for our efforts were two penalties from James Hook.

We can salvage something with Connacht next up in the Challenge Cup quarterfinal on Friday (Kingsholm 7.45). That competition looks to be our only chance of qualifying for next season's Champions Cup, which is surely something that was on Ryan Walkinshaw's business plan at the start of the season.

Sharks: Mike Haley, Tom Arscott (Tom Brady 70), Johnny Leota, Sam Tuitupou, Mark Cueto (Joe Ford 75), Danny Cipriani, Chris Cusiter (Will Cliff 75), Ross Harrison, Tommy Taylor, Vadim Cobilas (Eifion Lewis Roberts 70), Andrei Ostrikov (Jonathan Mills 70), Nathan Hines, Dan Braid (captain) (Cameron Neild 75), Dave Seymour (Magnus Lund 65), Josh Beaumont

Scorers: Tries –  Leota, J Beaumont.

 Cons – Cipriani (2);

Pens – Cipriani (3)

Yellow: Hines 65, Cipriani 75

Gloucs: Billy Burns (Bill Meakes 60); Charlie Sharples, Brendan Macken, Billy Twelvetrees (captain), Jonny May; James Hook, Callum Braley (Dan Robson 65); Nick Wood (Yann Thomas 65), Richard Hibbard (Darren Dawidiuk 55), John Afoa (Sila Puafisi 55); Elliott Stooke, Tom Palmer (James Hudson 55); Tom Savage (Mariano Galarza 55), Matt Kvesic, Sione Kalamafoni (Ross Moriarty 65)

Scorers: Pens – Hook (2)