By Pitprop
August 22 2005

Pitprop juggles notepad, team sheet, voice recorder, binoculars and camera in order to deliver another superb match report. No wonder my request for text updates elicited a long distance sigh! Our thanks to Pitprop for his efforts on our behalf.

Friday dawned sunny, and we arrived near Bathgate around 1500. At 1600 it was chucking it down with rain and hail, as a thundershower made its way towards Edinburgh. A portent of things to come? Conditions similar to Leeds last week?
But no. The weather turned brighter and drier, and we made our way towards Murrayfield. Hoping to park on the city side of the stadium, as we approached the entrance we saw several cars turn in. Nothing loth, we followed, and found ourselves parked by the side of the stadium! The ground underfoot was moist, but conditions should not have been affected. We strolled through the stadium, up through the Presidents’ Suite (used by the Gunners’ supporters – NDV are you reading this?) and into seats alongside the Gunners’ players, and behind where Sharky’s boys should have been. That they chose to stay pitchside was made up for by sitting beside Fijian members of the Army Seven along with the great Waisale Serevi!

The tannoy announced that kick off was delayed by quarter of an hour, due, your reporter found out later, to the late arrival of Sale. Their warm-up did not seem to be going as well as usual at this stage, the boys looking a little distracted, KJ hammering late points home as they went back to the dressing room. Not the evening for this to happen, with four players returning to the fold from their late summer lay-off. It was important tonight for new combinations to gel, for the new faces to blend with the old.
Sale's team was announced, with no change from the side chosen by PSA. Is he turning over a new leaf? Then came the home team. Still in their squad numbers from last week, the Edinburgh management was deep into the security aspect of the game - if the team isn’t numbered in the traditional manner, the new players will therefore be kept secret and home (and away) supporters will not recognise them!! Fullback was No. 27, right wing was No. 20, Outside Centre was No. 8, inside was No. 5, and so on. Here, for the benefit of Sale fans (and for the confused of Edinburgh), is the starting line-up for Gunners:-

15. Leonelli
14. Paterson
13. Di Rollo
12. Dewey
11. Webster
10. Godman
9. Blair
1. Hewett
2. Hall
3. Craig Smith
4. Pringle
5. Kellock
6. Mustchin
7. Hogg
8. Satala
The game was kicked off by Charlie a further three minutes late, refereed by Ian Heard from the Borders. Sale playing right to left in front of the west stand, the only one in use, with around 2,400 spectators taking advantage of the free admission (and free team sheet). Kicks were exchanged, and Gunners were penalised. Charlie kicked to the 22, Jonesy took the line-out and Sharks started the maul. When the ball was released Sale were forced back, and conceded a penalty on the Edinburgh ten metre line. Gunners ran it, and Blair’s attempt to pass over Wakley’s disbelieving head failed. He fumbled, adjusted and took off like a scalded rabbit, scooting 40 metres to ground the ball under the posts. Wakley was practically unattended as Edinburgh had their fullback ready to press the attack. Larrechea converted, and within three minutes, Sharks were apparently sailing along.

I n the first quarter Sale continued to press, kicking for position, pressurising the set pieces and driving the ball up through the forwards.
Yet the Gunners' defence held firm, and their physical challenge was emphasised by the late and high tackle put in on Larrechea by Dewey, who was only warned. Courrent stepped up to slot one from 40 metres on 12 minutes.
When Edinburgh did work their way into the Sale half on 18 minutes, the defence went over the ball, were penalised, and Paterson kicked the penalty from in front. From the restart Sale turned the ball over and at last started to look sharp. Taylor made ground into the 22, Courrent clearing the ball quickly. Faure drove through three players, Bruno's turn next, but he was static and was caught behind the gain line. Still Sale recycled, Charlie dodging tackles. Sale were awarded a couple of scrums, and from the second Taylor then Charlie penetrated the defence, Jonesy supporting and held up. Chabal made the final drive, and Edinburgh were penalised for handling on the ground. Larrechea was back in the kicker's role and slotted the penalty on 22 minutes, 3-13.

The ball was cleared to touch from the restart, and when lineout ball reached the middle, Dewey charged 35 metres straight through the centre of the defence to score under the post, Sale players falling off tackles left and right. Paterson naturally converted and Edinburgh were back in the game at 10-13.

On 26 minutes Sea Bass and Mustchin exchanged views frankly, and the ref read them their fortunes. Sea Bass misguidedly tapped his opponent on the head as they broke up, and the ref promptly penalised him, with the Edinburgh crowd baying for a Sea Bass sin-bin. The Gunners turned up the heat, and it took a firm tackle by Taylor to stop one attack, and then they promptly butchered an overlap on the right side. A second clear chance also attracted the filleting knife.

As Edinburgh set up further attacks, Faure lived up to his rumoured reputation, taking Paterson high, late and without wrapping, and taking a close look at the ref's yellow card.
Around this time, the Sale front row played musical chairs. Sheri went on and Chabal came off (hopefully to calm down), a blood-streaked Bruno came off for stitches and Turner replaced him, and within a minute Turner was off for blood replaced by Briggs! Edinburgh took advantage of the seven-man pack for Blair to slip the ball to Hogg at a five-metre scrum for the openside to score on 36 mins, Paterson converting. Gunners went into the lead 17-13.

Sale worked their way back upfield, turning over ball and were awarded a penalty which Larrachea missed. Sale returned to the Edinburgh half courtesy of a Cueto punt, and Edinburgh had a lineout which Sale snaffled.
The pack set up the drive, Courrent prised the ball off them, feinted to go wide, stepped inside his tackler, took the second tackle and pirouetted over for the score. Larrechea missed the conversion from a similar position to his previous penalty, wide on Sale's left. Sale's seven man pack had manufactured the chance for the former Briviste, and the team had regained the lead 17-18 at the half, having allowed their hosts to put their noses in front for just three minutes.
The team stayed on the park during the interval, and broke up into the usual warm-up routine prior to the second half. It seemed however, that this was performed without a great deal of focus, again perhaps a symptom of the disrupted preparation. The front row returned to normality after the break, Faure replacing Sheri (who did not reappear), Bruno wearing a scrum cap and Coutts wondering what all the fuss had been about on the other side of the scrum. Edinburgh had made three changes, but to the spectators, the numbers merely altered on the back of the shirts.

Sale were now playing left to right, and Charlie's boot kept them going forward. The novelty of the new combinations, and the physical pressure attempted by Edinburgh, strained the links between Sea Bass and Courrent, and between Courrent and Charlie. Jason White, doing the unseen hard work began to come to the fore, with a crushing tackle to wipe out Satala, and taking lineout ball at the back. Chris Jones was upended at a lineout and Charlie kicked to within ten metres for the lineout. Jones took the throw, and Elvis made ground before Bruno spilled a pass. Sale kept the pressure on, White's marmalysing of Blair leading to a turnover. Lobbe organised the driving maul, Sale maintaining control, slowing about three metres out and Edinburgh were again penalised. Charlie took another punt to the corner, the pack caught the lineout at the rear, they gathered, drove, drove again and Bruno was over on the far left. A very brief chorus of "Bruno, Bruno" was heard from the very few Sale supporters present, and Larrechea converted. 17-25 and some daylight had reappeared in Sale’s favour.
Both teams rang the changes, with Schoey replacing Day, and Hanley replacing Hodgson. Larrechea came up to flyhalf, Cueto went back to fullback, and a few minutes later Anglesea replaced Jones, who had been stretching his hamstrings, and NBE took over from Chabal. The reorganisation did not help the Sale defence as from a scrum in the 22, Godman slipped a pass to Dewey coming back against the grain, and the centre was again unmolested by Shark tackling as he scored his second. Paterson again converted, and the score was back to a one point margin in Sale's favour, 24-25.
The game ebbed and flowed, Wiggy replaced Courrent, and Hodge appeared in the Gunners flyhalf berth. White took a further grip on the defence and Sale tightened up. Edinburgh tried to press, but Sale kept pushing them back. Coutts appeared to pull a calf muscle, and Briggs replaced him. Bruno went to prop, and scrums became uncontested (Turner and Sheri were sitting apparently unconcerned pitchside.) Bonner-Evans prospered, and several times took the ball into the heart of the defence. Neither side were able to manufacture a further score, and as the time ticked to 40 minutes, Sale were awarded a penalty on the halfway. Lobbe and White interrogated the ref as to the watch's progress, and on receiving the information that time was up at the next stoppage, Lobbe grabbed the ball and planted it deep into the west stand. For him, enough was enough. Sale hung on to win their third pre-season game.
Sale's late arrival had perhaps unsettled the team's preparation, and concentration appeared to be lacking on several occasions, as ball was lost, and Sale allowed Edinburgh to disrupt their attack. The line-out functioned reasonably well and were able to acquire the odd opposition ball, and the scrummage started to gain the ascendancy after the break. The defence for both of Dewey's tries went AWOL, and the link between midfield and backrow must be quickly tightened. The more formal links between 8 (Chabal), 9 (Courrent) and 10 (Hodgson) must be reforged if the team is to flourish, and control re-established, or not all of these gentlemen will appear against Squeaky's Mob. As for the returnees, they all looked rusty within the team setting, although all were able to display their talents.
Man of the Match for me was captain Jason White, who left his mark on several of his countrymen, took crucial lineout ball at the back, and lead the team well. The scrappy display was disappointing after the upbeat reports which came back from the Mediterranean coast. But a win is a win.
Edinburgh in contrast appeared happy with a second pre-season loss.
"Fighting Display", "Gunners Shine" and "Gunners push Sharks" were some of the headlines on the Scottish reports of the game. Others were less optimistic "Gunners fed to Sharks" was the Daily Record's banner. Perhaps the most accurate came from the Gunners offy "Sharks evade Gunners".
Edinburgh certainly played a great deal better than their Leeds outing, the defence was tighter, and the pack more competitive. Their backs too created, (and were allowed to create) more. The Gunners' captain, Chris Paterson said that they could cope with the physicality that surrounds the GP and perhaps they did. But that physicality comes with the ability to execute under pressure, and that Edinburgh have not yet mastered. Neither were they able to force themselves into Sale's half for any length of time in the second half, and that inability cost them the game.
Sale themselves need to step up a couple of notches, both in muscle and skills before the GP starts, and Squeaky's Mob come to visit. With just Doncaster to test themselves against, it will require a fault-free performance next week.
Titterrell did not seem to be on the bench, Foden was not used, Sheri got 10 minutes, Turner one, and Barry Stewart was up in the stand among mates prior to the game.