Gloucester fly-half Ludovic Mercier kicked a touchline conversion two minutes
from time to clinch a draw in a thrilling encounter which fully justified its
top-of-the-table billing.
Zurich Premiership leaders Gloucester looked to be heading for defeat midway
through the second half after Steve Hanley and Jason Robinson crossed to give
the Sharks a healthy lead.
But just as they did last Saturday against Newcastle, the Cherry and Whites
launched a stirring fightback which saw them touch down through Terry Fanolua to
draw level at 23-23.
Mark Cueto restored Sale's advantage but Jake Boer popped up in the dying
minutes to score the try which set up Mercier's last-gasp conversion.
It marked a magnificent performance from Mercier who finished the match with
20 points, booting 15 in a flawless display of kicking - and crossing for a
first-half try.
The result was tough on Sale, who clearly had the better of the second half -
but they did finish their afternoon's work with three points, the third arriving
after Cueto bagged his side's fourth try.
Sale overcame a hesitant start to launch a promising raid in the third minute,
winger Hanley breaking deep from within his own half before feeding Dan Harris -
who was hauled down on Gloucester's 10 metre line.
The ball was quickly recycled right where former Wallaby Graeme Bond found
Cueto - but despite having room to manoeuvre the Sharks winger was well tackled
by centre Terry Fanolua, ending the threat.
Sale had won a penalty though which Jos Baxendell pushed wide, but he made
amends shortly after with two three-pointers in quick succession, pushing his
side into an early 6-0 lead.
Gloucester replied with an easy penalty from Mercier after referee Tony
Spreadbury had spotted the Sharks straying offside and then took the lead in the
27th minute.
Their try came completely against the run of play as Sale had spent the
previous 10 minutes camped in the visitors' half, pressurising Gloucester at a
series of line-outs only five yards out from the whitewash.
But after winning the last of these they pushed the ball wide where Baxendell
saw his pass intercepted by a lurking Mercier, who used his headstart to
outstrip Robinson in an 80-metre dash for the line.
Mercier landed the conversion but little under 10 minutes later Sale had
reclaimed the lead through flanker Pete Anglesea.
The Sharks had surged deep into Gloucester territory, securing a strong field
position which Harris used to set up a ruck just metres out from the Cherry and
Whites' line.
Quick recycling allowed scrum-half Bryan Redpath to take full advantage of
Gloucester's over-stretched defence as he laid-on bullet pass to Anglesea who
crashed over in the corner.
Mercier replied with a penalty moments after the restart but the Sharks were
back on top in the 46th minute when a surging run from Anglesea was completed
with a perfect pass to Hanley.
The powerhouse winger, who was called into a provisional 70-man England
training squad yesterday, showed exactly why he has caught Clive Woodward's eye
by using all his finishing know-how to shrug off a tackle and touch down under
the posts.
Baxendell added the extras and then some sublime skills from Robinson saw the
Sharks improve their advantage as the England full-back, seemingly with nowhere
to go, danced between two Gloucester defenders before sprinting over.
The sin-binning of Cherry and Whites skipper Jake Boer for diving on the ball
had aided Sale's cause but his return heralded the beginning of the visitors'
fightback.
Fanolua touched down in the corner to round-off a magnificent move which had
stretched Sale's defence to breaking point and then Mercier slotted the
conversion to complement his penalty shortly before.
But there was still life left in what was proving to be a real see-saw
encounter, Cueto accepting Baxendell's pass before touching down for a try which
the latter improved.
Boer crossed in the corner with two minutes of normal time to go and amazingly
Mercier kicked the touchline conversion to grab a share of the spoils.
Teams:
Sale: Robinson, Cueto, Harris, Bond, Hanley, Baxendell,
Redpath, Yates, Titterell, Stewart, Schofield, Fullarton,
Anglesea, Pinkerton, C. Jones.
Not Used: Marais, Thorp, Turner, Davies, Lund, Going, Walshe.
Tries: Anglesea, Hanley, Robinson, Cueto.
Cons: Baxendell 2.
Pens: Baxendell 2.
Gloucester: Delport, Simpson-Daniel, Fanolua, Paul, Garufy,
Mercier, Gomarsall, Woodman, Azam, Deacon, Fidler, Eustace,
Boer, Hazell, Forrester.
Not Used: Stuart-Smith, Amor, Todd, Fortey, Roncero, Buxton,
Pearce.
Tries: Mercier, Fanolua, Boer.
Cons: Mercier 3.
Pens: Mercier 3.
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