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The 'shackles are off' reason why Sale are on guard going to Exeter
Second-place Sale are Exeter-bound on Sunday fully aware that they can’t afford another slip on the road if they are to deliver a much-desired home semi-final in the Gallagher Premiership. The Sharks went into this weekend’s round 18 fixtures still sitting on a 12-point cushion ahead of third-place Northampton despite last week’s second-half collapse away to the Saints.
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It was two years ago when a last-round defeat at the Chiefs extinguished their hopes of playing a last-four match at home in Manchester, a loss that left them having to go back to Exeter and get knocked out in the semi-finals a week later.
This latest trip to Devon – which arrives just a fortnight after a shadow Sale XV were hammered 46-3 at Sandy Park in the semi-finals of the Premiership Rugby Cup – is the first of four away league matches that the Sharks have in their six remaining games before the semi-finals.
They accept they need to keep their points tally ticking over to ensure they are not caught coming down the finishing straight and relinquish the current hold they have on a knockout game at the AJ Bell.
“That is something we are striving for, this block of games is very important to us,” said Sanderson, whose Sale side must go to London Irish, Bristol and Gloucester after hosting Saracens next weekend before they get to May 6 and a final round fixture at home to Newcastle.
“We are very fortunate to have the vast majority of all our internationals back. That is unheard of. I have never been in a spot where we have only one international player [Ben Curry] when you are coming second in the league. It’s their loss, our gain in that respect. Exeter, what a challenge because they are on form. With the people that are leaving Exeter, it’s a bit of a last-dance scenario for them.
“I’m sure there are a lot of people that want to leave that place with good memories. It has all been out in the papers who is going and who is staying. That in a sense frees you up. It limits the white noise that would have been circulating pre-Christmas, so the shackles are off.
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“Omar (Mouneimne) is doing good stuff with the defence and they have changed how they attack. I don’t know if you have noticed since the start of the season they are a bit more direct, going back to some of their multi-phase attack – which is wherein lies the challenge.
“They take the most metres post-contact, they have the most carries, the most tries over six phases, and they are second only to us in terms of the collision dominance in defence. It shows you what sort of a physical battle you have to win down there on their turf.
“This is a game that is probably going to test us more than any other physically and we have got to up to speed there.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
140 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
140 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
140 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
140 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
140 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
140 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
140 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
140 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
140 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
140 Go to commentsHo hum.
140 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
140 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
1 Go to commentsLet’s be honest. The draw and scheduling in the World Cup was a joke but South Africa found a way after having to go the hard (nearly impossible) way to the Cup Final via France and England. NZ had a hard game against France (lost) and had 5 weeks to prepare for the Quarter, 3 weeks knowing it was Ireland. NZ theerfore had to win one big game against an Irish team who played SA and then Scotland 7 days before. They won and it was de facto a semi final because they were playing a relatively weak Argentina team and it was a walk over. In the final a very rested NZ team was playing a very tired SA team and still lost. They couldn’t score more than 11 points. Put another way SA had to find a way to win while tired and they achieved that. NZ should thank their lucky stars that they fixed the scheduling in 2015 otherwise they would be dealing with a Bok treble.
140 Go to commentsPerhaps if Bongi wasn’t targeted and removed from the game in the first 3 minutes it would have been quite a different game. Maybe if NZ also faced the same competition the Boks faced to their win NZ would have looked quite different. The final score shows who outplayed who.
140 Go to commentsRubbish article! Abuladze played most of Exeters matches when fit. He got injured against Glasgow a while ago and is out for the rest of the season, thats why he hasnt played for Exeter and Georgia recently. Do some proper research next time!
1 Go to commentsGotta love it when kids throw their toys out the pram and can’t hack it with the grown ups debate. Here’s looking at you turlough! 😉🤣
148 Go to commentsThey lost the game period move on
140 Go to commentsSpringboks won! Stop winging. You can change the game however much you and your rugby colonizing IRB want to and the Springboks will win you at that too. Your mind is colonized my friend get a life
140 Go to comments