By Simon Robinson
February 2 2005

Sale Stun Stubborn Saints A patched up Saints team fared well against a fired up Sale squad at Edgeley Park today. Paul Diggin made a great debut start at full back, as Reihana, Stcherbina and Drahm were all late withdrawals.

A reconstituted pack, containing Thompson, Smith and Boome (back from recent and various absences), held up the strong Sale eight well. Early kicks from Charlie Hodgson were a bit hit and miss, with a drop goal and subsequent penalty both missing the target. Unfortunately, this was not to continue through all of the match - however, his scoring percentages were well down on what you would expect from an international class kicker.

Steve Hanley powered over for an early try, and Hodgson added the extra points to put Sale up 7 - 0. A ninth minute penalty from Paul Grayson pulled it back to 7 - 3, even though he had to make a divot for the ball as no kicking tee was forthcoming. Grayson hit another on 15 minutes to narrow the lead to a single point. Minutes later, and Hodgson added a penalty of his own to push the lead back to 10 - 6.

The next score was a controversial decision - and not to be the last - when referee Sean Davey asked the TV Match Official to decide whether Grayson's drop goal was good. He was perfectly entitled to (despite many dissenting voices - my own included) and it was seen good, so the score was now 10 - 9, with the first quarter completed.

Another penalty miss from Hodgson preceded a classic Saints attacking manoeuvre. It stemmed from that rarest of things, a Saints lineout win, which was pulled down. Another lineout from the penalty was driven over. Steve Thompson or "Captain Fantastic" ended up with the ball over the line, much shorter than recent tries, but the video official was again needed. The Grayson conversion was missed, but Saints took the lead at 14 - 10.

Saints went on another fluid attacking move, which started on their own tryline and ended on the Sale 22. There were around 20 passes, including at least two classy offloads, which broke down when an interception sent the Saints on the defensive and back to their own 22. Sale then had an extended period of advantage on the Saints line - is ten metres and twelve passes not enough? - which ended with Hodgson adding three points to the home tally. Five minutes left of the half and Saints were 14 - 13 up.

This is where the referee's decisions really get interesting. Sale run a try in through flanker Magnus Lund. The fact that Jason White had shoulder barged Andy Blowers off the ball seemed to have escaped the official's attention. However, the touch judge told the referee - but too late, he had awarded the score. the Hodgson kick added the extras, and Sale went up 20 - 14 up into first half injury time.

Grayson added another penalty to his increasing list to cut the deficit to 20 - 17, even though the Saints were still in possession when the referee pulled them back for an advantage. Still, Saints were still in touch at the break. The replacement of Selbourne Boome with Damien Browne at half time, showing a good return from a long injury layoff.

Saints started the second half as they did the first - badly. Ross Beattie went down injured, to eventually be replaced by Mark Soden, but not before Steve Hanley added his second try of the day, strolling through a slack Saints defence at a set scrum. Hodgson found his kicking boots once more to extend the home lead to 27 - 17.

Darren Fox gifted Sale another three points after tackling a man off the ball, in a very similar way to White with Blowers in the first half. The gap was now 13 points, 30 - 17, just short of the hour mark. Grant Seely made an entrance, replacing Andy Blowers, who had been injured early on. Paul "Digger" Diggin showed his real class minutes later, skinning his opposition number and England captain Jason Robinson.

Saints gave Sale another mysterious penalty at a scrum, on 62 minutes, but Hodgson's hit and miss counter switched to "miss" for this one. Brett Sturgess came on to replace Robbie Morris with twelve minutes of normal time remaining. However, Sale were to seal the win and bonus point just short of eighty minutes when prop Stuart Turner ploughed over. Hodgson kicked the points again and Sale were unassailable, 37 - 17, with only injury time to go.

Saints got a late consolation through Grant Seely, and a drop kicked conversion from Grayson brought the score back to 37 - 24 with a couple of injury time minutes left. Saints rang the changes, with Ben Jones for Johnny Howard and Andy Vilk for a disappointing Mark Tucker, but that was how the score stayed.

Good play from both sides was marred by sloppy and intermittent decisions from the officials. Is there any way of citing a match official, as it is clear his refereeing denied the Saints at least a bonus point. Several positives from the game, including brilliant returns for Diggin and Boome, a lineout that actually works, and with results from other matches going our way, we are still two places (but only two points) above the drop zone.