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Sale just about hold on against Gloucester after first-half Rob du Preez red card
Sale Sharks overcame a first-half red card for Rob du Preez to boost their Premiership playoff prospects following a 25-22 triumph over Gloucester at the AJ Bell Stadium. Du Preez was sent off in the 26th minute with the Sharks leading 12-5 through tries from Faf de Klerk and Arron Reed.
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Jonny May had responded for the Cherry and Whites prior to that incident and George Barton then added a penalty to give them a huge chance of upsetting the playoff challengers in the second period.
That seemed to be a long shot when an AJ MacGinty penalty and Marland Yarde try moved the hosts 14 points ahead but quick-fire scores from Santiago Carreras and Willi Heinz levelled matters.
Gloucester had the momentum but it was Sale who wrestled it back to claim the win through MacGinty’s three-pointer. Despite their hammering at the hands of La Rochelle in the Champions Cup quarter-finals, the Sharks have been in fine form and they began this encounter in excellent fashion.
Alex Sanderson’s men consistently pressured the opposition defensive line and, although one opportunity went awry, they were rewarded when du Preez broke through and off-loaded for de Klerk to score.
'I can’t sit here and slag them off when I was the one not playing well and I couldn’t stay fit.' @BathRugby and @Scotlandteam centre @camredpath talks to @Gav_S_Harper ???https://t.co/ix4APvjBGA
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 17, 2021
Sale were playing some fluent rugby but at times they overplayed and Gloucester capitalised as another stray pass allowed the Premiership strugglers to counter-attack. After the ball was kicked forward, it became a foot race between Luke James and May and there was only one winner as the wing touched down to reduce the arrears to 7-5.
Sale responded almost immediately, however, and constructed another well-worked try as Sam James’ inside pass sent Reed across the whitewash. Sharks were in control but they were dealt a blow when fly-half du Preez was correctly sent off for a dangerous tackle after tipping Val Rapava-Ruskin beyond the horizontal.
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Barton then reduced the deficit from the tee before a breathless passage of play saw the ball regularly move from one end of the pitch to the other. Louis Rees-Zammit was deceived by the bounce when in an excellent position to score before the home side counter-attacked through James and MacGinty but the fly-half was unable to catch James’ pass when inside the opposition 22.
Both teams continued to attack and turn over the ball but, thankfully for both pack of forwards, play eventually came to a halt. That was the last significant action of the half as Sale went into the break four points in front.
The Sharks soon extended their lead in the second period as they began the half well, with MacGinty kicking a penalty. They were also handling the disparity in numbers impressively and were rewarded for their endeavour through Yarde’s try.
MacGinty was the architect of the score, weaving his way through the defence before the wing crashed over from close range. It appeared to be a long way back for Gloucester but they finally found the formula to take advantage of the red card.
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Firstly, a fine Billy Twelvetrees pass meant Carreras could touch down before they produced a lovely move for Heinz to go over. Rees-Zammit was given the space to sprint down the right before he combined with Lewis Ludlow to send the scrum-half across the line unopposed.
Twelvetrees’ conversion levelled matters but Sale retook the lead through the boot of MacGinty, who bisected the uprights with ten minutes remaining. Gloucester went in search of the winner, playing the off-loading game which had served them so well in the second half, and thought they had it through Mark Atkinson.
However, it was chalked off for an illegal clear-out from Ed Slater and that proved decisive as the Sharks secured an important win.
The popular 41-year-old official is back in the game https://t.co/Qddr50Rj3Y
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 16, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments