Macleod edges out Warriors
The accurate boot of home flyhalf Nick Macleod proved the difference in an attritional Premiership game at ice cold Edgeley Park, as Sale Sharks edged out Worcester Warriors 15-12.
Three first half penalties from former England man Andy Goode, who limped off at the break, gave Warriors a slender 9-6 lead on a bitterly cold night in Stockport.
Worcester kept that lead until the final ten minutes when Macleod edged his side back ahead before Danny Gray had an injury time drop goal charged down as Warriors were forced to take a losing bonus point from the away day.
Marcel Garvey took the opening kick-off and Andy Goode cleared as Worcester looked for field position while Sale also looked for kicking options with an early cross field kick mopped up by Chris Pennell.
An early penalty for offside against Warriors as they looked to repel an attack from Sale saw Nick Macleod step up and give the hosts the lead after five minutes.
Another penalty at the scrum, after Goode made a mess of the restart, saw Macleod kick to the corner but the lineout was lost. However, another scrum penalty, as the returning Andrew Sheridan made his impact known, allowed Macleod to kick them further ahead.
Worcester got on the board after Rob Miller made a total calamity of a high up and under from Goode as he failed to take the catch and then was pinned for holding on as Dale Rasmussen and Jake Abbott swarmed. Goode slotted the comfortable points.
The game was being played in the air throughout the opening 15 minutes as both teams launched highballs to test the handling in the cold conditions.
Macleod kicked Sale back close to the line with a superb touch finder. The Sharks started to prod the Worcester defence for weakness but again a poor lineout from the hosts saw possession lost in a key area as they looked to strike.
Worcester were shutting Sale down in midfield while turnover ball saw Goode smashed a kick across the surface to take the Warriors back into the home half.
The game continued to be played in a scrappy manner with errors from both teams under the high ball as each side looked to work field position.
Tevita Taumoepeau secured the Warriors another penalty at scrum time as his intriguing battle with Sheridan continued with Goode slotting the kick to level the scoreboard.
A huge scrum from Warriors again on the resumption, after Sale had kicked out on the full, gave Hill’s men yet another kickable penalty from halfway. Goode lined up the kick and made a solid connection as he ball flew over for the lead.
Shaun Perry was controlling the game now with box kicks causing Sale issues and his clever grubbers in behind forcing the Sharks to play from inside their own 22.
Worcester had Sale under pressure as Taumoepeau popped up in midfield and raced down the middle only for James Gaskell to pick off Perry’s floated pass as he looked to spread the play.
Goode then looked to make a charge down the right and hacked ahead only for his hamstring to go as he galloped after the ball and leave the fly half on the floor in some discomfort. Warriors suffered another blow as Craig Gillies replaced blood injury victim Chris Jones.
Tempers flared after Perry took Peel off after the ball and Sale took the penalty to kick for position and look to mount a final attack before the interval. But a shuddering tackle by Rasmussen on former team-mate Sam Tuitupou knocked the ball on.
Goode was forced off at half-time and replaced by Danny Gray while Jones also made a return after his blood injury.
Sale came out flying in the second half as Tom Brady made a scintillating run up the middle resulting in the home side keeping the phase play going until the ball was knocked on by Richie Vernon, after a big tackle from Miles Benjamin, and Chris Pennell swooped on the loose ball to relieve pressure.
Gray was then in the thick of the action as he cleared under pressure before putting his body on the line as Gaskell hit the line at pace and Warriors forced the penalty as the Sharks went over the top at the breakdown in a bid to protect it.
A penalty against Jones for pulling down in the lineout, as Warriors failed to take Aleki Lutui’s throw, saw Sale pump the ball deep in Worcester territory again. And another penalty moments later, as Worcester were penalised despite being in control of the scrum, allowed Macleod to bring the scores level again.
Sale were then almost over for the opening try as Tuitupou kicked in behind and Seymour charged down the clearing kick from Perry but saw the ball just run dead as he looked to pounce.
The game was now becoming stretched as Sale looked to abandon the kicking game that was not working for them and run from all areas to try and break the Worcester defensive resolve.
A high tackle from Seymour around Benjamin’s neck saw Warriors work some position after 55 minutes as Pennell launched a long kick down field. Gaskell then infringed at the side of the breakdown to give Gray his first kick at goal but he saw his effort pull up short from wide right.
Benjamin was next to brilliantly collect a cross field kick from Macleod looking for Miller as Sale continued to try and open up the visitors.
Ed Shervington and Gillies, for the second time, entered the game just after the hour while Matt Kvesic replaced Abbott just moments later as Hill looked to freshen up his troops in the final quarter.
Gray opted out of a drop goal after dropping in the pocket, as the rush Sale defence got to him quickly, but seconds later was given another chance as Sharks were pinned on the floor by the referee. The replacement again lined up his kick at the posts and slotted the kick with 13 minutes left.
A poor kick chase, from Pennell’s high hanging kick, saw Sale race back up field through Brady and a penalty resulted for not rolling away that Macleod slotted for his fourth kick of the night.
Gillies stole lineout ball to try and put Worcester back on the front foot as the time ebbed away, but as Sale looked to run from deep the ball found Miller who looked to breakaway and was snagged only for the penalty to go against Sam Betty on the floor. Macleod, from wide right, made the kick with four minutes left.
Warriors looked to mount one final attack to try and salvage the game. Lineout ball was claimed at the second attempt as Worcester looked for a way back in the final 60 seconds. The forwards picked and went to make ground before Gray dropped in the pocket and had his kick charged down.
The scorers:
For Sale Sharks:
Pens: Macleod 5
For Worcester Warriors:
Pens: Goode 3, Gray
The teams:
Sale Sharks: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou (captain), 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Mark Easter, 7 David Seymour, 6 Hendre Fourie, 5 James Gaskell, 4 Andrei Ostrikov, 3 Tony Buckley, 2 Marc Jones, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 Joe Ward, 17 Lee Imiolek, 18 Vadim Cobilas, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Richie Vernon, 21 Cillian Willis, 22 Will Addison, 23 Luther Burrell.
Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Marcel Garvey, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Dale Rasmussen, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Shaun Perry (captain), 8 Blair Cowan, 7 Jake Abbott, 6 Sam Betty, 5 Chris Jones, 4 James Percival, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 George Porter, 17 Ed Shervington, 18 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 19 Craig Gillies, 20 Matt Kvesic, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Ravai Fatiaki.
Referee: Llyr Apgeraint-Roberts
Assistant referees: Stuart Terheege, Ashley Rowden
TMO: Trevor Fisher
