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Match Report
Friday, August 29th 2003Friendly
Sale Sharks |
16 |
Leicester Tigers |
17 |
Attendance: 10,541
| LEICESTER came from behind to win a hard-fought victory when the Sharks made their Edgeley Park debut in this pre-season friendly. Despite the fact that it was still the holiday period and that this was simply a warm-up game between two under-strength sides caused by injuries and World Cup duties, 3,000 people turned up to watch. They won't have gone home too disappointed because there was a good atmosphere and they had seen a decent contest between two sides finding their feet after the summer recess. There was also enough in the Sharks' performance, despite the outcome to believe that the club is in for a good season. Sam Vesty missed an early penalty chance that would have given Leicester the lead but Braam van Straaten was bang on target with a penalty on 16 minutes. He repeated the process four minutes later and that was the score at half time. The sides had spent much of the first half testing out the opposition but there was more flowing play after the interval and, within a minute, Leon Lloyd had scorched through Sharks' cover for a try that Vesty converted. Sharks bounced back and, three minutes later, a good forward drive and some slick handling by the backs saw Mark Cueto go over in the coner for an unconverted try. Tails were up and more good rugby produced a try for Steve Hanley on the other wing, the Cumbrian having taken over from young James Hoyle early in the second half. Vesty kicked a penalty to trim Sharks' lead to six points and then came the defining moment on 70 minutes. Leicester built up pressure and referee Dave Pearson saw Iain Fullarton retaliating in one skirmsh close to the Sharks' line and the second row was sent to the sin bin. Before the home side could regroup, Jos Kronfeld had been driven over and Vesty's conversion secured victory. Sharks went close in the dying minutes but Leicester held out in what was a worthwhile exercise because it was just the sort of hard contest the players needed. Fortunately nobody reported injuuries other than a few bumps and bruises. |
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