Martin Offiah rolled back the years at Heywood Road but Sale
still came from behind to end injury-hit Wasps' Heineken Cup qualification
hopes.
The 36-year-old cross-code international grabbed two first half scores as
Wasps threatened to send Premiership runners-up Sale tumbling out of the
play-offs after champions Leicester, who were surprisingly beaten at Welford
Road on Saturday.
But, after a poor opening period, the introduction of Bryan Redpath and Jason
Robinson helped steady the Sale ship and with Wasps' stand-in goalkicker Phil
Greening unable to land any of his more difficult chances, the Sharks gained the
initiative by the hour mark and eventually cruised home.
The win earned Sale a last four clash in a fortnight with Gloucester, the team
the Sharks defeated to reach next week's Parker Pen Shield final clash with
Pontypridd in Oxford.
Adopting a similar stance to the Heineken Cup challenging Tigers, Sale coach
Jim Mallinder preferred to keep his key men ahead of next weekend's Anglo-Welsh
confrontation.
Mallinder made eight changes from the side which defeated Harlequins in the
final league game last weekend, further highlighting the apparent irrelevance of
the play-offs to his already shattered team.
Wasps needed to reach the June 8 final to scrape into Europe's premier
competition next season but their hopes were badly hit before the start.
Lawrence Dallaglio arrived at the ground with a plaster cast on the damaged
thumb which has ruled him out of England's summer tour and Alex King, Kenny
Logan and Shane Roiser were also missing.
Understandably, neither side produced any cohesive attacking play during the
opening period.
The chances which did come arrived through woeful missed tackles or blocked
kicks, Ian Jones profiting from the latter to send Offiah clear for his first
touchdown.
Sale had more scoring chances but conspired to waste most of them, Mel Deane
and Anthony Elliott both fumbling when virtually clean through and Paul Sampson
racing back to haul down Chris Jones after the Wasps lock had darted 50 metres
to within an inch of the line.
Charlie Hodgson landed his first penalty but Wasps countered quickly and Paul
Sampson darted through a static defence, launching a quick-fire scoring sequence
which saw the visitors lose and then regain the advantage by half-time.
Offiah's legs may not produce the pace of old but his thinking is still pretty
rapid and by keeping a wide position, he allowed Mark Denney the room to produce
a kick for the former Great Britain rugby league man to snatch his second.
Greening was not letting himself down with the boot, even if the touchline
chances proved beyond him, and had little trouble slotting over the conversion
when Josh Lewsey galloped home unchallenged four minutes after the restart.
Sale though quickly countered, with skipper Alex Sanderson leading the charge
by blasting in at the corner despite the attentions of four Wasps defenders.
Redpath was already on at this point, and Robinson followed soon afterwards,
their entrances split by the departure of Greening to the sin-bin for
deliberately killing the ball.
Hodgson had missed a simple penalty chance just before the interval but
regained the golden touch after it, slotting over two penalties and then a
conversion to put Sale back in front after Steve Hanley had charged in at the
left corner.
Greening failed to put his team back in front when a long range penalty
attempt dropped short and replacement centre Matt Leek saw a drop goal chance
float wide as Wasps desperation grew.
Reinforced, Sale had a clear advantage and Hodgson landed a penalty before
Elliott and Hanley both crossed in injury time to keep the Sale bandwagon
rolling.
Teams:
Sale: Going, Hanley, Baxendell, Deane, Elliott, Hodgson,
Dickens, Black, C. Marais, Stewart, Lines, C. Jones, Perelini,
Wilks, A. Sanderson, Pinkerton.
Replacements: Robinson for Going (53), Harris for Deane (54),
Redpath for Dickens (48), Titterrell for C. Marais (59),
Pinkerton for Perelini (48), Giacheri for Pinkerton (68).
Not Used: Turner.
Tries: Dickens, A. Sanderson, Hanley 2, Elliott.
Cons: Hodgson 3.
Pens: Hodgson 4.
Wasps: Sampson, Roberts, Abbott, Denney, Offiah, Lewsey, Wood,
Dowd, Leota, W. Green, Shaw, Jones, Worsley, Greening, Lock,
Mackenzie.
Replacements: Wigran for Roberts (77), Leek for Offiah (64),
Friday for Wood (73), Mackenzie for Dowd (56),
Dowd for Mackenzie (59).
Not Used: McCarthy, Beardshaw, Jenkins.
Tries: Offiah 2, Sampson, Lewsey.
Cons: Greening 2.
Pens: Greening.
Sin Bin: Greening (51).
Tries: Offiah 2, Sampson, Lewsey.
Cons: Greening 2.
Pens: Greening.
Att: 3,283
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (England).
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