Sale Sharks remain unbeaten and top of the Zurich Premiership despite facing
an onslaught from injury-stricken Wasps at Loftus Road.
Sale easily have gone behind in the fifth minute when Wasps winger Kenny Logan
kicked a long-range penalty only to see his efforts sail to the left of the
uprights.
The opening came in the 13th minute when Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson slammed
through a penalty kick from Wasps' 22 metre line.
Logan equalised with a 20m penalty kick just two minutes later but Sale showed
their prowess as the pack tore down the left leaving centre Dan Harris to touch
down the ball, allowing Hodgson to convert.
Hodgson put his side in a strong 10-point lead with a second long-range
penalty kick.
With three minutes to go in the first half Logan sent another penalty the ball
curling through the uprights and in injury time Logan kicked his third
successful penalty, seconds after Pete Anglesea was sin-binned for killing the
ball.
The Sharks went into the second half seven points adrift but came back
fighting in the 41st-minute penalty when winger Mark Cueto tore down the left to
place the ball over.
Prop Craig Dowd placed the ball over the line as the pack took the Sale
defence by surprise to but Wasps back in contention but it was short lived as
four minutes later Hodgson thumped through another close-range penalty kick from
deep inside Wasps' 22.
Picking up a pass from full-back Shane Roiser, centre Fraser Waters scored a
60th-minute try which was easily converted by Logan but in the 74th minute
Hodgson kicked his sixth successful penalty kick of the afternoon and then
produced an 80th-minute drop goal.
In injury-time, full-back Jason Robinson completed the job with a try,
converted by Hodgson.
Teams
Wasps: Green, Leota, Dowd, Beardshaw,
Shaw, Jenkins, Allen,
Worsley, Wood, Leek, Logan, Denney, Waters, Lewsey, Roiser.
Replacements: Molloy for Dowd (59), McCarthy for Beardshaw (76).
Not Used: Friday, Sampson, Scrase, Barratt, Lock.
Tries: Dowd, Waters.
Cons: Logan.
Pens: Logan 3.
Sale: Yates, Titterrell, Turner, Fullarton, Lines, Perelini,
Pinkerton, Anglesea, Redpath, Hodgson, Hanley, Harris, Shaw,
Cueto, Robinson.
Replacements: Jackman for Titterrell (80),
A. Sanderson for Lines (35), Lines for Perelini (63),
Baxendell for Shaw (44).
Not Used: Bramhall, Going, Wilks, Black.
Sin Bin: Anglesea (40).
Tries: Harris, Cueto, Robinson.
Cons: Hodgson 2.
Pens: Hodgson 6.
Drop Goals: Hodgson.
Att: 4,403
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).