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Sale Sharks defeat troubled Saracens to reach Premiership Rugby Cup final

By Online Editors
PA

Saracens’ troubled campaign took another big hit as they were comprehensively dumped out of the Premiership Rugby Cup at the semi-final stage following a 28-7 defeat to impressive Sale Sharks.

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Although they escaped Heineken Champions Cup expulsion and were only fined following the result of Friday night’s hearing into prop Titi Lamositele’s possible ineligibility to play in last month’s clash against Racing 92, Saracens’ domestic cup hopes were deservedly extinguished at the AJ Bell Stadium.

Steve Diamond’s side now go on to meet Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby Cup final in mid-March.

Fielding a side featuring nine changes from their defeat to Quins a fortnight earlier, Saracens were put to the sword by Sale in the early stages.

Sale <a href=Sharks v Saracens – Premiership Cup – Semi Final – AJ Bell Stadium” />

By the midway point of the first period, the Sharks had surged into a 21-0 lead with Denny Solomona, Will Cliff and Ben Curry all crossing for tries.

Solomona got them off the mark barely 90 seconds into the clash when he darted into the corner after taking a smart off-load from Simon Hammersley.

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Sale Sharks v Saracens - Premiership Cup - Semi Final - AJ Bell Stadium

The home faithful were off their seats again when Cliff dived in after meeting Marland Yarde’s precise pass, while Curry also breached a stunned-looking Sarries back-line after grabbing a quick lineout pass.

Rob Du Preez was impeccable with three clean conversions, including the first and third from the touchline.

The second quarter of the game saw the visitors at least restore some order, with utility back Alex Goode – back in the starting XV after four months out with a pectoral injury – spotting gaps and going close to making much-needed in-roads.

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Sale appeared content to simply defend resolutely in keeping Saracens at bay in the early stages of the second period, only for the away side to finally register when Rotimi Segun pounced on Goode’s hopeful kick before darting under the posts. Skipper Tom Whiteley added the extras.

Sale Sharks v Saracens - Premiership Cup - Semi Final - AJ Bell Stadium

However, Sale swiftly responded by adding another converted score, this time as Akker Van Der Merwe dived over from close range with Du Preez slotting the extras.

Late yellow cards for Goode and Alex Day completed a miserable night for Sarries as they failed to reach the final, having lost in the showpiece to Northampton Saints 12 months ago.

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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