The build up

With many of our first choice team un available, hopes were not high that we could again enjoy the rare euphoria of last weeks tremendous win over LI. Thank goodness that Rugby Bird hadn't spoken to more of the squad!

So - without too much expectation, the small Quins contingent established themselves at the West end of the Birtles Stand and proceeded to demonstrate to the quiet home crowd how to be loud and proud. To a cheer and toots from the famed horned helmet (worn on this occasion by Terry the Tooter), the Quins team ran onto the pitch with Satala’s white boots glowing brighter than the floodlights. In fact, the floodlights were so dim they make the Stoop lights look like positively dazzling. Then, to a mini firework display, the Sharks ran on, the fireworks drowning out the muted cheers of the home support and ruining the away player’s night vision, which had been just become used to the gloom.

Your reporter, notepad in hand, took up a strategic position whereby he could just about see the pitch, but the light made recognition of players more than 30m away nearly impossible without night vision goggles.

The game - first half.

Quins started with a long kick, ruck, and return kick, which was safely caught by Nathan Williams and cleared to touch. So far so good. Sale won their first line out, the ball was deftly passed out along the backs, a trademark Robinson jinking run and then knocked on, the first of many simple handling and passing errors by Sale. Scrum to Quins, clearance to Quins 10m. Sale line out very nearly stolen by Quins, good movement by Sale making significant yardage, but Quins managed to steal the ball and Williams cleared the ball downfield. Hodgson fired the kick back, Williams returned the compliment with a high ball, then Referee Spreadbury spots an infringement as the ball is collected, appears to award a penalty to Sale and immediately reverses it to a penalty Quins. Touch is found just outside the Sale 22m. Solid Quins lineout, Free Kick awarded to Quins, quickly taken, Williams throws a wild, high, pass to Frodo Gollings, forgetting that Hobbits are smaller than humans, but Gollings, with some deft juggling recovered the situation. There then followed a beautiful passage of play with some well worked moves between the backs, breaking the Sale defensive line, and Sanderson scores in the corner. Slems, from a difficult kicking position, pulls the conversion left.

Sharks 0 Quins 5.

At the restart Satala drops the ball and a penalty is awarded against Quins for being in possession of quartered shirts (I don't know what else it could be for). Charlie Hodgson, safe as houses, slots home the penalty

Sharks 3 Quins 5

Quins win the restart, chip forward, caught and Robinson calls the mark, kick forward to be collected by Williams, long high kick collected by Sale who find touch at their own 10m line. Quins win lineout, and then the management enjoy the beauty of a rolling maul, only to see Sale awarded a penalty for a Quins player diving over. Sale find touch, win their own lineout and release Robinson, who jinks past Satala, offloads the ball only for it to be knocked on outside the Quins 22. This passage of play repeats itself, with Robinson making excellent runs, bouncing away from tackles, only for a Sale mistake to end a series of promising moves.

20 mins gone and Quins are holding their own. Very difficult to see what is happening at the far end of the pitch, but Quins make good ground, passing from wing to wing with patient play. The game moves around the pitch, with both sides defending very well. Quins manage to steal a lineout on the Sale 22, ball is passed out to Williams, who makes a superb run, but gives away a penalty for holding. At this point the vociferous Quins contingent burst into an impromptu chorus of "The Referee’s a Lander", which bought a huge smile to Spreaders mush. Sale clear, and in the resulting passage of play clearly knock the ball on, but Spreaders gives them the penalty because he suddenly recalls the Lander insult.

30 mins in and Spreaders has a word with Ace about his tackling.. Again in the next passage of play, Quins steal a long lineout, good runs by Matty Moore, and another beautiful, elegant and sexy rolling maul which was collapsed by Sale (unnoticed by Spreaders), ball released to Williams for an excellent drop goal.

Sharks 3 -Quins 8.

Restart featured the usual play with excellent kicks, crunching tackles, a turnover by Quins, which resulted in a penalty to Sale (???). Sublime kick by Hodgson to find touch in the Quins 22, ball passed swiftly out to the centre, massive tackles by Ace, scrum Quins, but a fracas developed in the centre after Ace was a little late (about 10 minutes) in arriving to tackle Hodgson. He went to lift the player off of the ground a received a clout around the back of his head for his trouble. Ace Yellow Carded - Sale escape punishment for the obvious and blatant retaliation.

Sale find touch, win lineout, pass out to the right wing, and then knock on yet again. Scrum is won and Williams clears with a beautiful kick, Quins up very quickly to the breakdown and are awarded a penalty as Sale dive over the ball. Slems goes for goal but pulls the kick left again. After the drop out the ball is collected by Gollings, kicked forward, collected by Robinson and Quins are awarded a penalty for something. Gollings kicks the penalty to MrsB in the terrace, who, being a girlie, fails to catch cleanly and knocks on. Quins win lineout, another rolling maul (thing of beauty etc etc), Sale decide that they don't like beautiful mauls and pull it down. Penalty Quins in front of the post, which Slems slots with a rather nice kick.

Half Time. Sharks 3 Quins 11.

2nd Half.

Jim Mallinder had obviously spoken to his team at half time as they came out firing like the fireworks that preceded the match. It didn't look like the management had pulled anybody off at half time but, hell, I could just about make out the figures on the pitch let alone spot who they were!

Almost straight away Sale win their lineout on their own 10m, Hodgson chips forward, Sale win the ball, rolling maul and a very well worked try is scored by Charlie who coverts his own try.

Sharks 10 Quins 11

From the restart Williams punts another huge kick downfield, and the following play resulted in the Sale back being hustled into touch. Quins lineout, which Sale steal, but eventually ball is won back and Slems attempts a massive and overly optimistic drop goal from just inside the Sale half – and misses. Williams safely collects the drop out, Hodgson returns and Quins take a quick line out. Penalty awarded to Sale for offside. Sale kick to touch, win lineout, but Quins hold up the maul and win the scrum, but the ball is knocked on. Sale pass the ball along the line, knock on and collapse the resulting scrum -penalty Quins. Quins kick to touch and win another penalty following the lineout. Slems goes for goal just inside the Sale half but launches a wild kick that goes horribly right, miles away from the posts. Standard passage of play follows with very good recycling but minimal break of the gain line. 15 minutes into the second half, Bemand is pulled off by the management to be replaced by Nick Duncombe. Quins continue making the teeth rattling tackles, resulting in a scrum to Quins. Frodo chips ahead but a penalty is awarded to Sale . At this stage the commentator thanks the Birtles stand for showing the North stand how it should be done!!!! Hello!! I think it is Quins supporters making the noise?

Sale once again practice the smooth, effective and slick passing along the backs until Robinson passes to Hanley, who is having a mare of a game, and who drops it. Scrum Quins, clearance by Gollings, and Bruce Starr is brought on to replace Gomez. Penalty awarded to Quins as Sale hold back a player. Quins find touch, win lineout, rolling maul (you know about the beauty bit by now) a penalty awarded to Quins, reversed to Sale yet again (why?) and Hodgson kicks to touch on Quins 22. From lineout, ball passes to Cueto who with great strength barges through 3 Quins players at speed, including Satala, who politely stands aside to let him through (Grrr), and scores under post. Hodgson, conversion etc.

Sharks 17 Quins11

Drop out, Sale mistake, wing to wing passing again from Quins, with excellent passing from Slems and Sanderson, Try obviously fired Quins up and they ran the Sale defence ragged, but eventually knocked on. However, Quins, with their dander up, wheel the scrum and are awarded a free kick. More excellent passing ending in a very debatable knock-on on the Quins wing (it must be difficult to knock on when you are facing backwards). Sale clear to touch and Dippy wins the resulting lineout. Kick to touch, quick lineout by Sale finds Jason Robinson, who sets out on storming run, but is brought down by some fierce Quins tackling. However, Spreaders awards a penalty to Sale for offside. In the next passage Quins are awarded yet another penalty as Sale hold onto the ball. Couldn't see the next bit as it was on the right wing, but it featured a storming run from Willliams, penalty to Quins, lineout, catch and drive, and a try to Sherrif, who had sneaked on unnoticed at the 79h minute to replace Tani (Ace to hooker). As Slems lined up for the conversion there was some bad tempered booing and heckling from the far end of the Birtles stand, but he missed the kick anyway, going just wide of the posts.

Sale 17 Quins 16

Immediate response from Sale as they fought down the pitch and Charlie Hodgson delivered a superb, killing, drop goal.

Final score – Sharks 20 Quins 16.

Comment:

I thought that Quins played remarkably well, enjoying a lot of possession and territory. Despite how it may sound from my long-winded diatribe, there was comparatively little kicking and Quins moved the ball well, but both sides were prone to silly mistakes. Forwards and backs combined very well and Dippy, Ace, Sanderson and Williams had an excellent game. The scrums and lineouts were solid and the tackling was superb. I thought Slems was very good in open play, but he does need to do some work on his kicking. The discussion in the bar afterwards revolved around those arguing that “If Burkey was playing, you would have won” versus “Slems gives you speedy service that allows the backs to make ground and break the gain line”. Bearing in mind that we have so many players unavailable and that Sale gave us a good drubbing last year, we went into this game expecting nothing. I think that we can be pleased with the performance and the bonus point, but you can’t help wondering that we should have won it.

As far as Sale (Sharks – whatever) were concerned, Charlie Hodgson is looking very sharp and Jonny Wilkinson should be looking over his shoulder. Jason Robinson made his usual trademark runs and him, and Cueto, are very dangerous opponents. Redpath had a very good game, but from what I could see Hanley wasn’t that hot. They still have not gelled as a team and do have lots more work to do.

Other points to consider: Ace’s discipline; 4 yellow cards now and a possible suspension for the next game? Bemand vs Duncombe; in my opinion Duncombe was slicker, troubled Redpath more and his passing seems to have improved. We need a ball carrier – step forward Andre Vos! Fuga vs Wood; Fuga played another very good game and it’s nice to see the lineout throws hitting the target. Finally, kicking cover for Paul Burke.

Da Management View:

Evs was gutted and the disappointment showed. He mentioned 8 players out, but the team played well in patches and didn’t panic. “If you kick loose then Sale will kill you – we didn’t”. He was pleased that the team had played only 1 poor game this year (Leeds). Burke is out for 6 weeks and he will look at other avenues to cover the kicking duties. He went on to say that Slems is a good kicker, but he just had a bad night.

Jim Mallinder thought that his team was fortunate to come away with a win when they had played so badly, but he was happy to take any win. He thought that Sale’s first 5 games had been patchy and they had not reached last years form. Redpath admits that passing is not up to standard, but he couldn’t knock the effort that the Sale players put into the performance. That said, there were a lot of errors with the back row giving away a few silly penalties. He recognised Quins as a very good driving side and made special mention of Dippy, but he thought that they might have been trying too hard.

Final note:

I’m never, ever, ever doing this again!

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