It could well have been a tough evening for us but a feeling of positivity followed the Leeds squad over the Pennines and with 2 wins out of two against good quality opposition anything could happen.  Thoughts beforehand were that if we could keep the scoreline respectable it would be a good sign for the coming season (especially if it was better than the last time we visited Edgeley Park).

I turned up just after the Sedgley Park vs Sale Jets game to be told that Twiggy scored a try but only played for a short amount of time so he would make his debut against us.  I grabbed a beer and sat in the Printerland Stand armed with my phone to make updates on the site and awaited the kick off. 

The game started with Sale on the attack and our defence holding up well coping with the onslaught from Sale, unfortunately with 15 minutes gone the defence was broken and Bruno went through under the posts, the try was converted by Charlie Hodgson. Unlike last year the team did not let the disappointment get to them and they went straight on the attack with some good back play, unfortunately missed opportunities led to some of these being wasted.  This was until Hepworth put a tidy kick through which Biggs (who must have been watching the womens Volleyball at the Olympics) palmed into the path of Big Mac who went under the posts, converted by Strange, a great riposte. 

Sale went on the attack and a penalty on 28 minutes gave the Sharks a 10 – 7 lead and unfortunately things went down hill for a bit leading up to half time.  Leeds were on the attack with an overlap, a floated ball to Biggs was intercepted by Cueto who scorched away, Biggs and Hepworth* (I think)  tracked back and made the tackle to save the try, unfortunately the ball bobbled loose and fell to Tait who went under the posts, converted again by Hodgson taking the score to 17 – 7 after 36 minutes. It then got worse, with about 30 seconds left in the half Sale went on the attack again and the try was scored by Chris Jones, converted by Hodgson leaving a half time score at 24 – 7.   It all was going so well but unfortunately the 24 – 7 score at half time did not really reflect the play from the first half. 

Thoughts turn to what would now be a good result, would a 30 point loss to a great side be acceptable?  Could we turn it around and win the game from an unlikely position, or would we valiantly fight back? The Sharks stayed out on the field for half time and were joined by a Leeds team with a few changes.  The first score of the second half was a penalty by Strange to take the score to 24 – 10.  Unfortunately Leeds could not kick on and succumbed to a try from a familiar face with Andy Tuilagi crossing the white wash.  This try came from a great break from Sean Cox (unfortunately it came from a missed tackle) but it was a good finish, never looked like he was going to pass it though!  The next score was from another missed tackle, this time Luke McAlister, and the score, for Chris Jones, was converted to take the score to 38 – 10.  Looks like the 30 point loss may be the case and in years gone by this may have been the end……

.... but as the last two games have shown this is not the attitude of this Leeds team. Following this Leeds found another gear and they also found their way to the Sale line, first there was a try for Tom Denton who made his way over the line after some great interplay between Mathie - who injected some confidence and maybe a touch of cockiness to proceedings - and the forwards before Denton crashed over, Alberto converted this to take the score to 38 – 17.  Sale retaliated and were targeting the Leeds line before some great work at the breakdown stripped them of the ball and quick hands allowed Welding to get the ball on our 5 metre line and have a run.  He ran the length of the field before dotting down near the posts, not bad for a player who has been out with injuries for so long.  This took the score to 38-24 with not too long left. 

Would Leeds ease off? Answer - no!  Richard Welding scored his second try with a few minutes left, not quite so spectacular as the first but some great quick passing allowed the ball to go wide with Welding going over the line.  This goes to show that this year we have pace to burn on the wings (Armstrong, Welding, Wackett and Biggs), the conversion was missed and the score was 38 – 29.  This is how the game finished and I walked back to the car in very high spirits, the positives far outweighed the negatives and if we can sharpen up the defence in the backs and cut out the missed tackles we should find this a very exciting season.

I have been wracking my brains to select a man of the match and I have to admit that I am struggling.  There are so many players who did well, Big Mac was his usual dogged Prop cum Outside Centre working hard all over the field.  Mathie is a pheonomenal player offering sniping runs, quick passes and good strength, with more time working with our first choice fly half (whoever that may be as Strange and Alberto played well) we could well have a diamond there.  The forwards were great scavenging for everything in the rucks…..you know what I will probably end up listing every player here, the whole team played well and will have surprised Sale fans who would have thought their team of Internationals would not have to break a sweat.

Roll on Nottingham at Headingley on Sunday 31^st at 3pm, see you then!

Teams

Sale: Rory Lamont, Mark Cueto, Mathew Tait, Luke McAlister, David Doherty, Charlie Hodgson, Dwayne Peel, Andrew Sheridan, Sebastien Bruno, Eifion Roberts, Sean Cox, Dean Schofield (Captain), Chris Jones, Luke Abraham, Carl Fearns

 Leeds: Leigh Hinton, Scott Armstrong, Jonny Hepworth, James Brooks, Tom Biggs, Jason Strange, Joe Bedford, Mike MacDonald, Phil Nilsen, Tommy McGee, Phil Murphy, Jon Pendlebury, Danny Paul, Hendre Fourie, Rhys Oakley.  Subs: Fosi Pala'amo, Rob Rawlinson, Vili Ma'asi, Pete Bucknell, Adam Hopcroft, Andy Boyde, Calum Clark, Tom Denton, James Craig, Scott Mathie, Dan White, Alberto di Bernardo, Scott Barrow, Adam Greendale, Rob Vickerman, Peter Wackett, Richard Welding.

 * ED: Actually it was Hinton

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