Early season high-flyers Sale slumped to their second successive Premiership
defeat as London Irish recorded a comfortable victory at the Madejski Stadium.
But a crowd of just over 4,000 left with little to enthuse about from a match
that had mid-table mediocrity stamped all over it.
Jarrod Cunningham's immaculate goal-kicking gave Irish a commanding 16-0 lead
midway through the second half, and although Sale centre Mel Deane's well-worked
try cut the deficit, there was to be no spectacular fightback.
Exiles' wing Justin Bishop followed his fellow Irish international Eddie
Halvey over the Sale line, guaranteeing a fourth victory from six starts.
Sale, 13 points adrift at the interval, made four substitutions in one fell
swoop on 48 minutes, yet coach Glenn Ross' reshuffle did little to improve an
error-strewn performance.
Time and time again, Sale's management team were left with heads in hands,
frustrated by some schoolboy errors which made the Exiles' task that much
easier.
Former Sale scrum-half Kevin Ellis kept Irish on the front foot through a
clever tactical performance, and with Conor O'Shea providing an assured presence
as the last line of defence their convincing half time lead proved more than
enough.
Skipper O'Shea completed Sale's misery through an injury-time touchdown when
he collected Cunningham's clever inside pass, and the conversion saw Cunningham
finish with 13 points.
Sale captain Alex Sanderson touched down in the game's final move, but his
team now take on reigning champions Leicester next Saturday staring at the
prospect of three defeats on the bounce.
Heavy pre-match rain made conditions difficult, and both sides were guilty of
ruining promising approach work through spilling the final pass.
Irish prop Mike Worsley underlined this frustrating series of events when he
dropped the ball after Ellis had done all the hard work to put him within inches
of Sale's line.
Cunningham booted the home side into an early lead, and after Sale were
subjected to a concerted spell of pressure, Irish pulled further away when
flanker Halvey was driven over by his fellow forwards from a line-out.
Cunningham converted and then kicked another penalty, and despite Irish losing
Halvey through injury just before the break, Sale couldn't get into the game.
A superb tackle by Ellis prevented Sale centre Dan Harris from claiming a
likely try, and Irish built on that magnificent defensive work to increase their
advantage through another Cunningham penalty.
Mistakes and wrong options continued to blight the second half, and Sale were
finished when Bishop rounded off a thrilling counter-attack after the visitors
had enjoyed a spell camped in Irish's 22.
Irish now go to Premiership basement boys Rotherham next weekend feeling
confident that they can make it five wins from seven.
Sale though, have got it all to do, having now been beaten by both Saracens
and Irish, conceding 79 points in the process while scoring just 19.
Teams:
London Irish:
Tries: Halvey, Bishop, O'Shea.
Cons: Cunningham 2.
Pens: Cunningham 3.
London Irish: O'Shea, Sackey, Matson, Wright, Bishop,
Cunningham, Ellis, Worsley, Kirke, Halford, Strudwick, Delaney,
Halvey, Dawson, Sheasby.
Replacements: Campbell for Ellis (51), Hatley for Worsley (55),
Hardwick for Halford (59), Danagher for Halvey (39).
Not Used: Everitt, Flavin, Burke.
Sale:
Tries: Deane, Sanderson.
Pens: Little.
Sale: Going, Moore, Bell, Harris, Hanley,
Little, Redpath,
Black, Jackman, Thiel, Manson-Bishop, Whittle, Anglesea,
Appleyard, Sanderson.
Replacements: Baxendell for Harris (50),
Davidson for Hanley (67), Rusk for Jackman (69),
Lines for Manson-Bishop (50), Wilks for Appleyard (50).
Not Used: Hatley, Deane.
Att: 4,198
Ref: Ed Morrison (RFU).
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