Sale made a maximum four-point start to their Premiership campaign after
stunning shell-shocked Bristol at the Memorial Stadium.
Late tries from flanker Stu Pinkerton and wing Steve Hanley secured the
victory for Sale, who had threatened to pay the price for their own poor
discipline.
The visitors gave Bristol's Australian fly-half Shane Drahm 11 penalty kicks
at goal. But he landed only six of them, managing some glaring misses.
Drahm had a chance to tie the game at 28-28 in the last minute but he sent his
20-metre penalty attempt wide, and Sale broke downfield for Hanley to claim a
match-winning try.
Bristol, who were outscored 4-1 on touchdowns, could have few complaints with
the result.
It provided a miserable start for their clutch of new signings - notably
Australian World Cup winner Jason Little and England prop Julian White - but
Sale prevailed despite hardly giving their British Lions star Jason Robinson a
pass all afternoon.
Robinson watched the action unfold from full-back, and it was the superior
close-quarter skills of Sale's forwards that proved crucial.
Pinkerton and his fellow new arrival, former Bath prop Kevin Yates, both got
through a huge workload - and with captain Bryan Redpath calling the shots from
scrum-half Sale kept battling in Bristol faces.
Despite his misses, Drahm still finished the game with 20 points from six
penalties and a conversion of Little's first-half try; yet Bristol were unable
to send Sale packing even though they led for most of the second period.
It was not until seven minutes from time when Pinkerton capitalised on a
mistake by Bristol scrum-half Agustin Pichot that Sale edged their noses in
front for the first time since the interval.
Bristol secured plenty of possession, yet their ball retention was poor and
they lacked the imagination to break down a well-organised Sale defence.
A scrappy first half came to life on 22 minutes when Sale wing Mark Cueto
sprinted past Drahm for a well-worked try - but when Little darted over to put
Bristol 16-10 in front it looked as if they would pull away.
Crucially, though, Sale replied immediately. Fly-half Charlie Hodgson's superb
break set up a period of pressure, and centre Dan Harris powered over to deny
Bristol an interval lead.
The second period developed into a kicking contest between Drahm and Hodgson -
who finished with 15 points - until Pinkerton struck and Bristol could not step
up a gear.
Hanley's touchdown and jubilant celebration rubbed Bristol's noses in it,
giving coach Dean Ryan the worst possible start following his busy summer
recruitment campaign.
Teams
Bristol: Johnstone, Nelson, White,
Archer, A. Brown, Salter,
Short, Sturnham, Pichot, Drahm, Christophers, Little, Higgins,
Rees, Carrington.
Replacements: McCarthy for Nelson (42),
Sheridan for Archer (55), Best for Higgins (76),
S. Brown for Carrington (76).
Not Used: Crompton, Bourne, Blake.
Tries: Little.
Cons: Drahm.
Pens: Drahm 6.
Sale: Yates, Jackman, Turner, Lines, Fullarton, Perelini,
Pinkerton, Anglesea, Redpath, Hodgson, Hanley, Harris, Shaw,
Cueto, Robinson.
Replacements: Titterrell for Jackman (30),
A. Sanderson for Lines (55).
Not Used: Bramhall, Going, Baxendell, Wilks, Black.
Sin Bin: Lines (34).
Tries: Cueto, Harris, Pinkerton, Hanley.
Cons: Hodgson 3.
Pens: Hodgson 3.
Att: 4,020
Ref: Rob Goodliffe (RFU).
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