Fourteen-man Sale see off Bristol
CHAMPIONS CUP REPORT: Sale Sharks battled to a 35-29 victory at Bristol Bears on Friday as they overturned a first-leg deficit to book their place in the Champions Cup quarter-finals.
Sale saw Aaron Reed sent off but crossed for tries through Lood de Jager, Akker van der Merwe, Thomas Roebuck and Jono Ross at Ashton Gate, with Robert du Preez kicking 15 points to see them win 44-39 on aggregate in the Round of 16 contest.
Bristol got over through Harry Thacker, Luke Morahan (2) and Joe Joyce, but ultimately couldn’t capitalise on their extra man for large spells of the game.
Bristol looked to have scored the game’s first try through hooker Jake Kerr on 19 minutes, but the TMO spotted a knock-on in the build-up. However, Sale scrumhalf Faf de Klerk was pulled up for an early tackle and was shown a yellow card, the resulting penalty allowing flyhalf Callum Sheedy to kick Bristol into the lead.
Sale flyhalf Robert du Preez levelled the scores shortly after with a penalty, and the visitors would survive the period with 14 men, ending the 10 minutes in the ascendency.
And seconds after de Klerk returned, Sale scored the game’s opening try as lock de Jager scrambled over at the back of a maul and planted down.
There was a huge setback for Sale as wing Reed was sent off for a high tackle, but they were undeterred, scoring their second try in the final play of the first half as hooker Akker van der Merwe dotted down following a rumbling maul.
Sale would cross again 12 seconds into the second half, centre Manu Tuilagi collected a loose ball from kick off and offloaded to flanker Jean-Luc du Preez, who sent wing Roebuck over in the corner.
A forward pass from Sheedy saw an immediate Bristol response through Charles Piutau chalked off by the TMO, but Sale were reduced to 13 men when prop Nick Schonert was shown a yellow card for another high tackle.
Bristol immediately took advantage as replacement hooker Thacker trundled over at the back of a maul, and they further reduced the deficit as wing Morahan crossed in the corner.
Despite Sale being back up to 14, Bristol grabbed their third score on 64 minutes as captain Joyce produced a superb finish from 10 metres out, Sheedy’s third conversion of the game putting the hosts ahead on aggregate.
That lead would be relinquished seconds after the restart as Sale won a turnover penalty and du Preez slotted from in front of the posts, and a further blow for Bristol came a minute later as replacement John Hawkins was yellow-carded for a high tackle.
Sale extended their lead as Robert du Preez slotted his third penalty of the game on 72 minutes, and moments later his cross field kick found its way to captain Ross, who dotted down in the corner.
Bristol set up a grandstand finish when Morahan went over for his second try of the game with two minutes to play, but Sale held on to set up a quarter final against the winner of Racing 92 against Stade Français Paris.
The scorers:
For Bristol Bears:
Tries: Thacker, Morahan 2, Joyce
Cons: Sheedy 3
Pen: Sheedy
For Sale Sharks
Tries: De Jager, Van der Merwe, Roebuck, Ross
Cons: R Du Preez 3
Pens: R Du Preez 3
Yellow cards: John Hawkins (Bristol Bears, 66), Nick Schonert (Sale Sharks, 47)
Red card: Aaron Reed (Sale Sharks, 33)
Teams:
Bristol Bears: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Alapati Leiua, 10 Callum Sheedy, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Sam Jeffries, 6 Chris Vui, 5 Joe Joyce (captain), 4 Dave Attwood, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Jake Kerr, 1 Jake Woolmore.
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 John Afoa, 19 Steven Luatua, 20 Fitz Harding, 21 Andy Uren, 22 Semi Radradra, 23 Charles Piutau.
SaleSharks: 15 Luke James, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Sam James, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Aaron Reed, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Jono Ross (captain), 6 Jean-Luc du Preez, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 1 Bevan Rodd.
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 JP du Preez, 20 Tommy Taylor, 21 Gus Warr, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Jack Metcalf.
Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Peter Martin (Ireland), Paul Haycock (Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
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