London Irish vs Sale Sharks - Match Preview

Plain Saleing?
By BrianC
November 26 2003

This Sunday sees us at reach the half way stage in our 2003/4 premiership campaign with a home game against Sale Sharks. This is in fact the first time in the ZP this season that we meet opposition we have already played.

London Irish vs Sale Sharks

Sunday 30th November, Madejski Stadium, K.O. 3pm.

Full credit indeed to whoever arranges the fixtures, the only team we have yet to meet are Bath. We have two league fixtures scheduled against them in March with potentially a third cup game in that period. Depending on how our both results go in the intervening period those matches could be very crucial indeed.

On the 31st October we beat Sale 26 - 28 at Edgeley park, winning with an injury time drop goal by Barry. Having read Reading Fatboy's report on that game I was reminded that the score flattered Sale somewhat, we were comfortably ahead for most of the game conceding the lead to a converted try on 76 minutes. We do need to remind ourselves that Sale have won eight of our previous thirteen encounters. Prior to the October game we had not beaten Sale, home or away, for over three years.

Sale have had a patchy start to the season, five wins, four losses and one three point draw. Currently they sit 5th in the table on 28 points, indeed they are only behind us by virtue of the fact that we have won one game mote than them. They may well be a different prospect playing them this time around. Charlie Hodgson is now fully up to speed having recovered from the injury that denied him a place in the England RWC squad. In our earlier game he was on the bench until 45 minutes into the game. Even then he made a substantial difference to the team when he came on. Both Redpath and Robinson have now returned from RWC duties although it is most likely that Robinson, if he plays at all, will start on the bench. His presence however should do no harm to the numbers on the gate.

Despite last weeks loss we've had a good start to the season with six wins out of our ten games, seven out of eleven if you count our PG victory over Glaws. Three of our losses thus far have all been away fixtures and in all but one of those we've picked up a losing BP. Last weekend in the rain we lost our 100% record this season at the Madejski. With a better performance from the team and officials this weekend we can win this. I can't help feeling it will be yet another edge of the seat experience.