Sale stun champions Saracens in London to book semi-final at Bath
What a result for Sale at Saracens, Alex Sanderson’s side emerging deserved 20-10 winners to secure a semi-final at Bath on June 1. This fixture featuring last year’s Twickenham final clubs was the tie of the final Gallagher Premiership round. Second versus fourth with so much on the line in North London.
Saracens, who were on a two-game winning streak, still needed something to guarantee them a home semi-final in two weeks. Sale, meanwhile, required another result to add to their recent four consecutive victories to ensure they didn’t agonisingly fall out of the play-offs at the last hurdle.
In the end, it was the Manchester side, who hadn’t won away to the Londoners in the league since 2005/06 when Vicarage Road was their home, that were celebrating in the Saturday sun.
The George Ford-run show and an industrious support cast of numerous heroes left Saracens looking ordinary and leg-weary and now having to go away to the table-topping Northampton in their May 31 semi-final as this bonus-less result left them dropping from second to fourth place.
You would never have imagined it turning out quite like this on the evidence of a tension-filled opening quarter where the high error count equated to a scoreboard stalemate. While early scores were flying in at The Rec, Welford Road, and The Stoop, nerves suffocated the opening exchanges here.
Sale had the initial yips. Ford kicked off out on the full. A free was conceded at the ensuing scrum, then a penalty at the reset. Elliot Daly, who kicked them from everywhere at Bristol last weekend, was wide to the right.
That was in the third minute and from there, the mistakes spread to Saracens who found themselves also making little or no headway with the game constricted to suffocatingly taking place between the respective 22s.
The 18th-minute hamstring injury exit of Manu Tuilagi, after Ben Earl mowed him down, was essentially the only thing of note before the opening score breathlessly arrived.
Tom Roebuck was like Fred Astaire in the way he weaved through the Saracens defence, even leaving Ivan van Zyl on his backside with a final step inside.
Ford converted but Owen Farrell, who has now played his final match at the StoneX before his switch to Racing, quickly struck back with a kick following a breakdown infringement, and it was the home out-half who was pivotal in the next big moment.
It at first appeared he had wasted his time intervening but it emerged that he had done enough to cause the separation which denied Luke Cowan-Dickie from keeping the try he was initially awarded on 37 minutes after a Jamie George throw just metres from his line went out the back.
The danger wasn’t alleviated, though, as a Saracens scrum collapse on their own feed led to Ford ending the half with penalty points for a 10-3 lead.
The visiting out-half was on tee again early in the second half, scoring from much further out, and we now had a riveting closing half-hour in store with the Sharks two scores up and the previously noisy home atmosphere deflated.
Advantage @SaleSharksRugby ?
Tom Roebuck breaks the deadlock at StoneX Stadium to hand the north westerners the lead #GallagherPrem | #SARvSAL pic.twitter.com/4fYqi0uEsI
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 18, 2024
Having played sublimely at Bristol, Saracens were clearly out of sorts and the scoreboard then quickly got away from them in the most calamitous of fashion when a panicked Alex Lewington, the late inclusion after the now-retired Sean Maitland pulled up in the warm-up, inexplicably gifted the ball to Rob du Preez on 52 minutes.
Ford added the extras it was now 20-3, an incredible advantage given the zero-zeroness of the fractious opening quarter.
It was around this time at Twickenham 12 months ago, with Sale ahead but by as much, when the Saracens Express clipped through the gears and there was a response here too.
Replacement Marco Riccioni on over via the pick-and-go on 66 minutes, with Farrell’s kick cutting the gap to 10-20. The hits that were already gladiatorial were now even more ferocious but Sale showed they had learned so much from last year’s final, remaining composed coming down the finishing straight to stay defensively tight and seal the deal.
The Play-Offs LOCKED IN ?@SaintsRugby v @Saracens – Cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens, 31 May@BathRugby v @SaleSharksRugby – The Rec, 1 June
Which sides will make the #GallagherPremFinal? ?#GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/DE56pBlaPM
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) May 18, 2024
Comments on RugbyPass
Surprised Ireland haven’t already nabbed Rayasi. So much competition in the back three in all NZ Super teams that you need a coach who believes in you and will select you regularly.
1 Go to commentsBath Fan acting all innocent, like Hill would just walk up and casually do that without a reason too 😂
1 Go to commentsDrua have been a fantastic addition to Super. Aus now down to 4 teams. Bring the Jaguares back in, they were Finalists in their last season. Super crowds are rising with afternoon KO’s, not having to cowtow to viewer schedules in UK/SA. win-win.
1 Go to commentsHamilton is an idiot. This cringeworthy desperation of journalists to enter the ‘GOAT’ debate. Have they lost the ability to think of something new and interesting to write about ? Its a pointless argument. Even using the eg of McCaw and Carter. One is a back, the other a forward. 2 totally different skill sets. Impossible to compare. Does a player need to win gold to be considered a ‘GOAT’ or is his skill evaluated independently of trophies ? And why compare Dupont, still at the start/mid of his career with 2 players with 150 caps each (approx) ? are Gareth Edwards and Pinetree Meads and Danie Gerber and David Campese not considered because they were amateurs ? Maybe let Dupont have his career first. And then compare him with others in his position, only.
27 Go to commentsJapan deserves better than this.
3 Go to commentsLove watching this kid play. He’ll be wearing black at some stage.
3 Go to commentsNoah Hotham has put in some stellar performances at halfback for the Crusaders. Especially home win against the Chiefs, loss to the Highlanders and the last two home wins against the Blues and Moana Pasifika. Confidence and skill set. Well summed up by coach Rob Penney. Noah is a All Black in waiting.
3 Go to commentsIf you want to bugger up a game give it to O’Keefe. Inconsistent advantage rulings for knock ons, an unfortunate propensity to use cards instead of player management. Ross may well have been offside but he had no influence on that phase of play. Its a pity O’Keefe is not Australian and then he would not be reffing the Wallabies - at least we are saved from Berry!
1 Go to commentsRachel Burford had the best pass in women’s rugby and was a class act. Jill Scott would have had many more England caps if the competition for places had not been so keen. Many other nations would have welcomed her.
2 Go to commentsAn SA team tops the log again
3 Go to commentsMarius Louw used to be the guy who couldn’t catch a ball. But this season he seems to be the guy suffering from ‘roid rage. There was no need at all to shove Davids and if he hadn’t, his team would’ve had 15 players on the field for the entire match. How does it feel to be the probable cause for your team not qualifying for next season’s Champions Cup? Hmm Marius, how does it feel?
2 Go to commentsHow to watch it??
3 Go to commentsHaven’t heard of any of em
4 Go to commentsIt was high. But unfortunate. Difficult to tackle a guy who’s knee-high.
2 Go to commentsGo Ulster!
3 Go to commentsPhepsi Buthelezi must surely get a crack at Wales. Masuku too.
1 Go to commentsI don't want to say there's a curse but Aussie Props are dropping like Spinal Tap Drummers this year
1 Go to commentsCorrection; Wacokecoke signed for Doncaster the other day
4 Go to commentsThis kid will be an All Black sooner rather than later. His ability to extract the most from any situation is unbelievable. Come next season he could be no. 2 behind Roigard. Another damn Crusader lol, out of Hamilton.
3 Go to commentsMngomezulu looking good at 15. I maintain, Evan Roos is much more effective at 6 than an 8. JC Pretorius is a damn good 6 too.
1 Go to comments