Sale win at Gloucester to maintain pressure at the top
Sale maintained second place in the Premiership and moved four points behind Exeter after beating Gloucester 23-17 at Kingsholm.
For fading Gloucester, though, it was a fourth successive league defeat and they have not won in the competition since toppling Bath eight weeks ago.
Sale’s wet-weather game in miserable conditions served them well as they gained an impressive victory through tries from centre Luke James, lock Bryn Evans and wing Marland Yarde, with fly-half Rob du Preez kicking two penalties and a conversion.
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Prop Fraser Balmain and centre Billy Twelvetrees touched down for Gloucester, while the latter added a penalty and two conversions.
But the Sharks were not to be denied, making it four wins from their last five Premiership matches and strengthening title play-off hopes.
Gloucester’s Wales Six Nations squad member Louis Rees-Zammit was sidelined by illness, so Tom Seabrook replaced him on the wing.
Sale showed three changes from the side that crushed Leicester last time out, with Rees-Zammit’s Wales colleague – prop WillGriff John – and flanker Ben Curry among those starting.
Gloucester ran out with the words “Be Kind” printed across the back of their shirts as part of the club’s campaign to raise awareness of mental health in partnership with the Samaritans.
Fly-half Danny Cipriani had helped drive the mental health initiative after the death of his ex-partner Caroline Flack.
Seriously fast for a 6'6, 110kg + lock. @leinsterrugby have another star on their overflowing books in Ryan Baird. https://t.co/jqp40U0fv2
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2020
Cipriani was heavily involved in Gloucester’s early attacking moments, chasing a kick that prompted some frantic Sale defending, and then looking to free his outside backs through a cleverly placed kick.
Sale then had the game’s first scoring opportunity, but Du Preez saw an angled penalty bounce back off the post and Gloucester cleared possession.
But Sale gained a flurry of penalties that meant Gloucester were pinned inside their own 22, and Du Preez took advantage to kick a 27th-minute opener and edge the Sharks ahead.
Twelvetrees, with the wind at his back, attempted a 50-metre penalty that hit the post, but Sale responded by scoring the game’s opening try five minutes before half-time.
A speculative Sale kick deflected off Gloucester flanker Ruan Ackermann and, after the ball rolled into Gloucester’s 22, James won the touchdown race.
Du Preez converted to open up a 10-point advantage, and Gloucester could not threaten the lead as they were left facing a testing second period with the elements not in their favour.
But Sale had no intention of loosening their grip, and they went further in front from an attacking line-out that ended with Evans touching down.
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A successful Twelvetrees penalty got Gloucester off and running, and there was more to come 11 minutes later after Sale had prop John sin-binned for collapsing a maul.
He had barely left the pitch before Gloucester made him pay, launching a ferocious surge by their forwards that Balmain drove over Sale’s line.
Twelvetrees converted, but just when Sale appeared threatened, they struck for a third try.
Cipriani tried to move the ball out from near his 22, yet a slip and fumble gifted Yarde a chance to pounce, and he duly delivered by sprinting over unopposed.
It was a savage blow for Gloucester entering the final quarter, but they replied just four minutes later with a second try that was awarded following lengthy debate between referee Wayne Barnes and television match official Rowan Kitt.
Initial checks were for a knock-on by Gloucester substitute Matt Banahan and, after that was given a green light, they also checked for Twelvetrees’ grounding and whether or not he was offside.
But the try was given, with Twelvetrees’ conversion cutting the deficit to just three points, only for a second Du Preez penalty to restore an element of control for Sale with seven minutes left, and Gloucester could find no way back.
– Press Association
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Comments on RugbyPass
Pick 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.
15 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?
4 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.
4 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 commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments