Sale player ratings vs Leinster | Champions Cup 2023/24
Sale players ratings live from the RDS: You feared for the Gallagher Premiership leaders as soon as they confirmed their much-changed line-up on Friday.
No George Ford. No Manu Tuilagi. Even Ben Curry was off the menu for this short hop across the Irish Sea, the Sharks instead making 11 alterations to the XV that got the better of Stade Francais in Manchester in last Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup opener.
With another six-day turnaround for next Friday’s AJ Bell encounter with Saracens in the league, Alex Sanderson had gambled on his squad’s depth being up to scratch and it was… but only to a degree.
Their determined effort got them 13-3 ahead midway through the opening half before a loaded Leinster finally strutted their stuff in front of a sell-out crowd following last weekend’s deserved smash-and-grab success at La Rochelle.
The Irish side surged 37-13 ahead with the game heading towards its finish, but the Sharks massaged the margin of their defeat with two converted tries in the closing 90 seconds to leave it 37-27. Here are the Sale player ratings:
15. Telusa Veainu – 6
Club debut for the Tongan, who was a class Premiership operator at Leicester before quitting for Stade in 2020. Enjoyed a lively start and could have scored but for a yellow carded failed intercept by Robbie Henshaw. Safe hands and some lovely footwork followed.
14. Tom Roebuck – 4
One of the eight Sale players that England boss Steve Borthwick recently visited in Manchester, it will bug him that he knocked on metres from the line near the break after getting double tackled. It was also his slip when trying to tackle Josh van der Flier that opened the door for Leinster to create the opening for a lead after the interval that they never lost.
13. Connor Doherty – 6
First start this season and rustiness wasn’t an issue judging by how he nearly had Veainu in for an early try before then showing Leinster the calibre of his wheels when racing in for his 25th minute try.
12. Sam Bedlow – 6
A Sale ever-present this term apart from last Sunday’s rest, he was a solid presence and helped counter the frequent rush pressure constantly put on Rob du Preez inside him.
11. Arron Reed – 7
Five tries in seven Premiership appearances this season, he was nearly in at the corner in the opening minutes. Showed excellent tact when chasing and he kept trying to the end, as seen in his late break which resulted in the yellow carding of Hugo Keenan, a space-creating spark for his team’s two late tries against a Leinster side down to 13 with no subs left to come on for the injured Charlie Ngatai.
10. Rob du Preez – 6.5
Tremendous bang for buck all year at either out-half or centre, he scored eight of his team’s 13 first-half points while also giving Doherty the try assist after combining sweetly with Raffi Quirke. Faded in the second period with Leinster on the up.
9. Raffi Quirke – 6
Just a second 2023/24 start for the England cap in another injury-hit season, there were moments of rashness such as going solo from a ruck in his half without support and giving up a no-release penalty. He also high-tackled Jordan Larmour before Leinster’s opening try, but his class was evident earlier with the grubber kick that created Sale’s first try.
1. Ross Harrison – 7
The 31-year-old’s experience was massively important given the leakage on the other side of the scrum. His defiance was encapsulated by registering a double-figure tackle count by the break to help ensure his team exited two points up.
? FT: @leinsterrugby 37-27 @SaleSharksRugby@BrianODriscoll and @StuartWHOGG_ pick apart Leinster's Round 2 victory…#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/iF08m36fQM
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) December 16, 2023
2. Tommy Taylor – 6.5
One of Sale’s four repeat starters along with Ben Bamber, Sam Dugdale and Roebuck, his energy and nuisance value were important in the first half Sale charge. Finished with a 79th-minute try off a maul.
3. James Harper – 1
A rare start for the rookie and it might be a while before we see him again as his penalty conceding issues at the first-half scrum versus Andrew Porter ended with him being shown a 37th-minute yellow card. Wasn’t sent back on after his binning elapsed.
4. Ben Bamber – 6
Another greenhorn, the 22-year-old enjoyed holding Ryan Baird up over the try line in the early stages and while a penalty for not rolling soon gave Leinster penalty points, he went on to play soundly.
5. Josh Beaumont – 6
His dad Bill had his dancing shoes on down the road in Dublin 2 the other night at the World Rugby Christmas party. Josh was dancing here for quite a while himself with his gritty effort.
6. Ernst van Rhyn – 7.5
The Premiership’s new tackle king, he commendably led the defensive charge here until he was required to go for a HIA. Was a real thorn in the side of the Leinster back row.
7. Sam Dugdale – 6.5
Another back-rower whose doggedness caught the eye until Leinster, especially through van der Flier, got a gallop on them in the second half.
8. Rouban Birch – 6
Heck of a difference between playing Championship level on loan last year at Caldy and making a debut Champions Cup start. Tackled well and showed purpose, but was hooked early in the second half.
Replacements:
Numerous Sale subs deserve credit. In particular, rookie prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour for winning a penalty at his first scrum and going on to settle this set-piece facet, and also Tom Curtis for his classy breakaway try in the 80th minute.
However, questions must be asked of Jonny Hill and his penchant for fake hardness.
Not long after his 52nd-minute arrival, he unnecessarily went at the prone van der Flier, giving Leinster the penalty that generated the pressure for them to build on their 16-13 lead.
Comments on RugbyPass
Big empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
34 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn 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 comments