by It may have been a cliche, but it really was a game of two halves. The first was a dull watch, one without spark or inspiration. The second was a riot as two title-chasing teams shook off perhaps too much Christmas cheer and sold-out crowds delivered what was promised on the mat: five tries, one of them decisive, and victory. famous home Northampton tops the Premier League.
Both coaches would have plenty of unpleasant words to share with their charges at the break but at least Sale boss Alex Sanderson had seven points to help the cure fade. That came in the 38th minute – the first score of the game – thanks to some athletic work from Tom Roebuck, who volleyed a high ball on the gallop to set Sale moving in Northampton’s 22. defender, creating space for Joe Carpenter who was pushing on the outside to score.
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Otherwise the first 40 minutes were a masterclass of big men running into other big men without direction or leading. Pointless kicks were returned in kind. Balls spilled into contact. Arrange spluttered pieces. And when Fin Smith left a penalty 40 meters short of the posts, the home faithful let out a sigh louder than any they had managed up to that point.
Not that Sale were offering much of an attack themselves. Neither team managed to extend a move beyond a string of five steps until Northampton were called into action after Carpenter’s try. Sanderson must have been keen on that wrecking ball to the injured Manu Tuilagi.
Sanderson’s colleague Phil Dowson had nothing positive to cling to. Before the start of this round, Northampton had made more clean breaks than any other team. They did that with passes against the grain, big carries out of 10 and plenty of width. None of that was to be seen as Sale’s explosive line pace overwhelmed the hosts in the tight routes and forced Smith to chase a close runner from a broken play.
“Credit to Sale, they are one of the best defensive sides in the league,” said Dowson. “Sometimes you have to throw sides down. In the second half we drove seeds again and managed to get some of our traditional game on the field.”
His side burst out of the tunnel and found a sharpness that was absent before. Suddenly there was width available and Ollie Sleightholme was released down the left. Northampton were only held out by a desperate diving goal from Robert du Preez.
Now real rugby was emerging through the gloom. Sale, with a line out on his own line, worked his way up the field and it was life for another throw at the other end. The goal was stopped but they kept the ball until Luke Cowan-Dickie took the lead with a goal. Ford, who missed a gimme off the tee earlier, hit the extras.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall is sweating on the bench result against Mako Vunipola (pictured) after he was sent off in the final minutes of his side’s 37-19 win over Newcastle. The experienced England captain was red-handed for the last play at the StoneX Stadium to Falcons hook Bryan Byrne, who was tackled by Nick Isiekwe.
It took some of the shine off the result for Sarries, who returned to winning ways in the Premier League after back-to-back wins and remain fifth in the table. McCall said: “On Mako’s red card, we’ll see because it was part of a double tackle. He came second, the main tackler interfered with the height of the ball carrier’s body, so we’ll see what the panel will throw in. say i a few days.
Ben Earl returned from injury against the bottom Premier League side, his first action in nearly two months following a leg injury and the 25-year-old England full-back helped his club put recent losses to Northampton and Sale behind them.
Rory Jennings kicked Newcastle’s first points of the game inside two minutes before long pressure from Saracens saw hurler Theo Dan scramble his way over. Manu Vunipola missed the conversion and Falcons came close to striking when Adam Radwan hacked the ball clear twice before his searing pace allowed him to follow up and go clear. Jennings added the extras and then smashed over a penalty from just over 40 meters to increase the visitors’ lead to 13-5.
Manu Vunipola quickly reduced the gap to five points with a penalty of his own but the hosts had a goal back when Iwan Stephens’ score was ruled out on the counter from a Guy Pepper penalty. Within minutes, Sarries scrum-half Ivan van Zyl struck after a quick penalty from a high tackle, and Manu Vunipola’s conversion gave his side the lead.
The winger Falcons put the side back in front with their third penalty, soon after Olly Hartley was denied a score by Van Zyl’s forward pass. But the visitors couldn’t hold on until the break as Juan Martín González nodded before slipping back on the last play of the first half. This meant Saracens turned around 22-16 in front, with Manu Vunipola and Jennings exchanging penalties early in the second half to keep the gap at six points.
Saracens had the bonus point after 64 minutes when they were awarded a penalty try when a driving scrum that was headed for the Newcastle line fell. Falcons captain Callum Chick was sent to the bin as a result and was still off the field by the time Mako Vunipola made his way over before his late red card. PA Media
“We were in the fight, up for it and probably had the game down and out if it wasn’t for some missed tackles and poor discipline,” Sanderson said.
Northampton rallied and George Furbank, who released Smith, rounded a defender and made a long drive to score. Ford slotted back to regain control but when Sale’s effort was denied in the corner, Saints began to believe. Courtney Lawes, as a substitute, made a difference around the edge, which coincided with a better ball forward for those in green and black. With 15 minutes remaining, Alex Mitchell found a half gap to point down from close range.
Now Northampton had momentum. A subsequent penalty and strong from the lineout feed inside Sale’s 22 carries them within touching distance of the line. Furbank quickly took another penalty under the shadow of the posts, carrying two Sharks defenders with him. One, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, was offside and the penalty try was awarded, giving Northampton the lead for the first time.
They did not obey him. And when Alex Coles, playing his 100th game for the club, stole a line out at the death to secure victory, the drudgery evaporated instantly.
