Sharks left to wonder 'what might have been'

Andy Powell eludes Courtney Lawes

Northampton Saints 24-17 Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks were left with mixed emotions - frustrated yet pleased at the end of this competitive game at Franklins Gardens.  An 80th minute Nick Macleod penalty rescued the losing bonus point that looked to have been lost two minutes before when an overshot lineout set up Ryan Lamb for a drop goal.  The visitors had suffered heavily in the penalty count, and were a man short for twenty minutes of the game courtesy of yellow cards for Sheridan and Tuitupou. So - bearing in mind some heavy reverses suffered here in past times - a bonus point could prove to be highly important.

Macleod missed a third minute penalty chance before Saints produced the expected drive at the next scrum. Seymour saved the day when Saints mounted their first serious attack after six minutes. Myler gave the Saints the lead from a penalty on 10 minutes after offside.  Three minutes later, an off the ball challenge by Pisi on Cueto led to a penalty where the ball landed.  Macleod found his range to equalise.

Myler added penalties on 32 and 35 minutes to take the score to 9-3. Saints had the superior portion of the attacking during the first half, and the 12-3 scoreline was fairly representative of the pattern of play. Marc Jones was getting seriously involved in the hard graft during a match played exclusively between the 22 lines.  Neither side threatened the tryline on a pitch made greasy by rain which had only stopped half an hour before the kick off.

Just before half time, after a Saints drive, Sheridan was shown a yellow card for not rolling away. Sale Sharks went into the dressing room at half time 12-3 down.  Four Myler penalties against one from Macleod were the scores at the end of a combative forty minutes. A hard ten minutes were in store - could the Sharks limit the damage?

With fourteen men, they did just that, Macleod adding his second penalty four minutes after the re-start. Myler restored the nine-point difference four minutes later.  Then came the game's only try, and it went to the fourteen men!  Miller and Leota set up winger Mark Cueto for his third try of the season, out on the left corner flag.  Two more Myler penalties, in reply to one from Macleod, left the score 21-14 with nine minutes to go. In the midst of this penaltyfest, Tuitupou took ten minutes out for a high tackle on Artemyev after 59 minutes. Sharks could have won, drawn or lost at this stage, but they surprisingly resorted to some fruitless kicking - Miller, unfortunately, twice punted directly into touch.

After 78 minutes, it seemed that all the Sharks efforts would go to waste when Ward overshot a defensive lineout.  The ball made its way back for Lamb to drop a goal.  Sharks made one last raid, and were awarded a penalty, wide, some 40 metres out.  Macleod slotted the ball home and the losing bonus point was restored. At the end, mixed emotions, but reflection on superb defence in a hard-hitting match.

Scorers: Saints Pens.Myler (7). Drop Goal Lamb.  Sharks - Try Cueto. Pens.Macleod (4)

 Attendance 13,344    Sharks' Man of the Match - Richie Vernon. Yellow cards - Sheridan, Tuitupou.

Scoring (Saints first) 3-0, 3-3, 6-3, 9-3, 12-3 (Half Time) 12-6, 15-6, 15-11, 18-11, 18--14, 21-14, 24-14, 24-17.

Sharks: 15.Rob Miller, 14.Tom Brady, 13.Johnny Leota, 12.Sam Tuitupou (capt.), 11.Mark Cueto, 10.Nick Macleod, 9.Dwayne Peel, 1.Andrew Sheridan, 2.Marc Jones, 3.Tony Buckley, 4.Andrei Ostrikov, 5.James Gaskell, 6.Richie Vernon, 7.David Seymour, 8.Andy Powell.

Replacements: 16.Joe Ward for Jones (52) , 17.Ross Harrison (not used), 18.Vadim Cobilas for Seymour (45-52), for Buckley (52), 19.Kearnan Myall (not used), 20.Mark Easter for Seymour (73), 21.Cillian Willis for Peel (52), 22.Will Addison for Cueto (65), 23.Luther Burrell (not used).