39-12. 41-16. 34-24. I wrote last week that a loss away to Wasps at the Ricoh Arena should not necessarily ring any alarm bells. After all, as the two scorelines listed above can attest, Coventry has hardly been the Sharks' happiest hunting ground in recent years. And on Sunday Sale once again returned back up the M6 empty-handed having been on the wrong side of a decisive loss despite two opportunistic touchdowns from lock Bryn Evans and a well-worked move that sent Mike Haley under the posts late on (plus an early AJ MacGinty penalty). But I stick by my assertion of last week; this is not a loss that should prove too disheartening. Wasps are clearly one of the two best sides in the Premiership (as indicated by their current position in the table) and have assembled a squad capable of comfortably challenging for both domestic and European honours. To lose is disappointing, of course, as is seeing Sale come away with exactly zero points despite a valiant second-half fightback, but although frustrating Sunday will not decide Sale's season. Instead, it will be games like this Friday's against Exeter which will hold more significant influence on whether Sale's 2016-17 season is ultimately a success (read: another top-six finish) or denoted as a 'rebuilding' year. There are two major takeaways from Sunday's game however: To start on a positive note, it appears that both Curry brothers are legitimate Premiership-calibre players even at 18 years old. Ben made his first Premiership start against Wasps and proved not only competent but a noticeably disruptive force throughout, then on 56 minutes he was joined by brother Tom who evinced his own top-level capabilities. It's still only November, but if nothing else comes from this season, the Currys' combined meteoric rise (along with that of Paolo Odogwu) offer significant hope that Sale have unearthed a trio of players who have the potential to become elite-level difference-makers (and internationals) within a remarkably short time span. Conversely however, it is becoming increasingly clear that change may soon be needed at the scrum-half position. No secret has been made of the necessity of substantial investment into the current Sale squad to allow it to compete with, well, the likes of Wasps in the near-future, and although rumours have so far coalesced around a certain Bath fly-half and a certain Castleford winger, one opines that scrum-half might be the area that requires the most significant immediate investment. Rotating Peter Stringer, 38, and Mike Phillips, 34, is clearly only feasible as a short-term strategy and with only James Mitchell, 21, behind them in the pecking order, it is at this position that Sale are in most desperate need of a truly game-changing player. That is not to say neither Phillips or Stringer are Premiership-standard players - far from it - but both were run ragged by Wasps' duo of Joe Simpson and Dan Robson on Sunday and with continuing uncertainty as to exactly who is the optimum playmaker in the Sale backline (either AJ MacGinty or Sam James or maybe even Will Addison), adding, say, a Danny Care type would give Sale another attacking weapon to compete in the type of free-flowing, open matches which have historically been Sale's undoing in recent years, especially away at home. With the loss, Sale drop down to ninth in the Premiership table and are now winless in their last three fixtures. After two understandable losses back-to-back to the two best sides in England, their opposition's lofty status is now longer applicable as an excuse should Sale lose to the Chiefs at home on Friday. Exeter sit fifth in the table and have emerged - somewhat surprisingly - as one of Sale's main competitors for the top-six this season, it's a game the Sharks need to win. Finally, congratulations to Josh Beaumont and Mike Haley who have once again been included in England's wider training squad for this weekend's fixture against Australia. Whilst their inclusion once again reaffirms their proximity to England starting duty, it is disappointing that neither have yet been afforded the opportunity to win their first international caps despite the fixture against Fiji serving as the perfect time for Eddie Jones to grant their respective test debuts. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks.
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It is hard to feel disappointed when your team - a plucky, underdog mid-table side playing an (apparently) distinctive Northern brand of rugby are beaten by the unequivocal best team in Europe (and probably the world but who isn't intrigued by a potential Saracens - Hurricanes clash). Yet one can't help but feel this was an opportunity missed for Sale on Sunday - in front of a season-high crowd of 8828, the Sharks could not capitalise on a visiting side bereft of five England representatives (plus a litany of other internationals scattered worldwide) ultimately falling 28-13. Josh Beaumont scored an early pushover try and AJ MacGinty slotted three out of his four kicks but it was the Fez Heads who ran out clear winners, capitalising magnificently on two unforced errors from Sale in the opposition 22 to run the length of the field and put the game to bed; Matt Gallagher and Ben Spencer the beneficiaries of a level of intricate team play the Sharks failed to match at any point on Sunday afternoon. It would be unfair to criticise Sale - who with the loss now drop to seventh in the table - too harshly for falling to Saracens, a club that even without the Vunipolas, Itoje, Farrell et al. boast one of the most robust squads in the entire Premiership and reigning champions of both England and Europe. But one thinks back to the thrilling 36-36 result in the corresponding fixture last season (again coming at a time when Saracens had been weakened by international callups) and has to wonder where the inspired, ebullient attacking rugby of last season which would have made Sunday's fixture at least competitive has disappeared to. The loss of Danny Cipriani is, of course, a big factor (although AJ MacGinty did show some flashes of hard-nosed quality on his return from injury), as was Saracens' ostensibly impenetrable blitz defence, but for the eighth time this season Sale appeared to lack any semblance of attacking structure and were duly punished by a far more clinical side. Maybe George Ford will fix that next season, maybe not. Regardless, Sale need to see more out of their backline players not named Paolo Odogwu, especially since their other main weapon - the rolling maul - has been decisively found out through twelve games this season. Perhaps the Northern approach to top-level contests needs some overdue refinement; Sale currently lack purpose, flair and shape (and sometimes all three combined) when in possession, and unfortunately this has become an endemic problem. For now, it is (once again) back to the drawing board for Sale ahead of a trip to the Ricoh next Sunday. Sunday's game shouldn't raise too many alarm bells, and neither should a potential defeat away to Wasps, but it is concerning that Sale, a third of the way into the season, still look like an assembled group of individuals rather than a definitive team. It was Saracens' ability to play as precisely that which allowed them to become only the second team to win a Premiership game at Sale in the last twelve months. Honourable Mention: Ben Curry (Premiership debut). Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Five tries, five points and up to fifth in the table. Not a bad weekend all round. Sale picked up their first away win of the season in fine fashion Sunday, comprehensively dispatching Bristol 31-13 behind tries from Paolo Odogwu, Mike Haley, Byron McGuigan, Eifon Lewis-Roberts, and Premiership debutant Tom Curry. After weeks of bemoaning the Sharks' historically dire away form, Sale feasted on a struggling Bristol side, for whom even the return of Gavin Henson could not prevent a seventh consecutive league loss. This was a classic 'banana skin' game - Bristol rooted firmly at the bottom of the league, Sale's confidence low after three (one unlucky, one poor, one valiant) consecutive losses. But the Sharks avoided another humbling loss, putting together arguably their most complete performance of the season to leap back up to 5th in the table (and as it stands are only one point out of a play-off spot). But despite the team-orientated victory it was Mike Haley, four days after his inclusion in England's squad for the autumn internationals, who stole the show. Incisive throughout, Haley's scything run through the Bristol midfield and around fullback Jordan Williams pushed Sale out to a 12-0 half-time lead and the Lancastrian's fast feet were on display again when a similar jinking run (this time down the left touchline) and the subsequent offload gave Tom Curry the easiest of opportunities to become the Sale's youngester ever try scorer (and the Premiership's fourth-youngest via EspnScrum). But for as dangerous as Haley was running the ball back from deep, his creative output was matched by that of Sam James despite the latter starting at fly-half for only the second time at the top level. James controlled proceedings on a string and showed both deft composure under pressure and an aggressiveness in taking the ball to the line before spinning it out wide. It was almost Cipriani-esque. No play illustrates James' playmaking nous more than his chip-and-gather over the Bristol defence that culminated moments later in Byron McGuigan crashing over in the corner. At times both James and Haley were unplayable on Sunday in a pair of performances that auger well for the future of Sale's backline. James and Haley could rapidly form one of the most devastating 10-15 combinations in the league if given enough time. Bristol on Sunday may ultimately serve as their genesis. Meanwhile, the monster pack finally reared its head in large part due to Eifon Lewis-Roberts and Brian Mujati systematically dismantling their opposite numbers, Cameron Neild is still an absolute workhorse, Paolo Odogwu's meteoric rise continued with another well-taken try to open proceedings, Sam Bedlow joined the aforementioned T.Curry in making his Premiership bow and finally it appeared Byron McGuigan won the raffle to have a crack at kicking sticks this week, the Namibian centre-winger-fullback going two-for-four on attempts after Will Addison did not return from a HIA midway through the first-half. As reassuring as it is to know Sale have yet another utility back capable of taking penalties and conversions, the goalkicking merry-go-round is making me dizzy. Sale need to clearly identify who their primary goalkicker is going to be going forward (is it Addison? James? McGuigan? Me?) and resolve some of the pressing questions in the backline, mainly, where does AJ MacGinty fit into all this? Honourable mentions: Peter Stringer, Josh Beaumont. Next up is the return of the Anglo-Welsh Cup after a year-long hiatus, with Sale taking on everybody's favourite club Wasps at the AJ Bell on Friday night. Also, there's apparently a new bloke from Wigan playing. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. |
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