Sharks needed extra time to progress into the quarter-finals of the Powergen
Cup at Welford Road, wearing down Leicester after a pulsating 100 minutes.
The sides were tied at 28-28 after regulation time, but the visitors made the
most of the extra 20 minutes to run in two tries and kick a penalty to put the
result beyond doubt.
Tigers full-back Austin Healey did not show any signs of fatigue after his
midweek return journey to Australia to be briefly on standby for the England
World cup squad, sending a booming touch-finder deep into the Sharks half early
on.
Italian fly-half Ramiro Pez opened the scoring with a penalty after centre
Ollie Smith had gone close down the left wing, but it was Sale who were to grab
the first try on the 10-minute mark.
It came from a set move behind the scrum - fit-again fly-half Charlie Hodgson
sending a long pass right to create the overlap for wing Mark Cueto to touch
down out wide, Braam Van Straaten making no mistake with the extras.
Sharks wing Steve Hanley was brought back by referee Steve Leyshon after
intercepting in an offside position when the try-line beckoned - Pez nailing the
resulting penalty.
However when Sharks had a similar kickable opportunity on the half-hour, they
opted instead for the line-out. Their attacking thrust was rewarded, with Stuart
Pinkerton taking the ball at the back - the ball eventually finding its way into
the grateful hands of Hanley who crossed in the right corner, Van Straaten again
adding the conversion from the touchline.
Tigers hit back within six minutes when wing Neil Baxter claimed his second
try in as many matches - scrum-half Harry Ellis and captain Josh Kronfeld
combining well in build-up play before Baxter raced over from 10 metres, Pez
converting.
But Sharks squeezed in a third try before the interval, Hanley claiming his
second in the right corner with a well-taken finish - the conversion taking the
Sharks' half-time lead to 21-13.
The hosts grabbed the first score of the second half with a third penalty for
Pez, but the Sharks kept on where they left off, with Australian centre Graeme
Bond racing under the posts for a well-finished try at pace, Van Straaten making
no mistake with the easy conversion.
Tigers, having wasted an overlap minutes earlier, got back into it with a try
from hooker Jim Richards from a barnstorming rolling maul - a carbon copy of his
debut effort against London Wasps last weekend.
And they were to rein in the Sharks lead within four minutes as centre Smith
made the most of his own midfield charge-down of a Hodgson clearance, hacking
forward and pouncing on the loose ball for the try, as Steve Booth's conversion
levelled matters at 28-28.
With extra-time looming, Healey erred with a snap drop-goal, followed by
Hodgson doing the same for Sharks, but with the teams not able to be separated,
two periods of 10 minutes each followed.
Pez missed with a long penalty early on, and both teams threw everything
forward, although the first period of added time yielded no points.
Bond soon saw to that as the second half got under way, repeating his feat
from earlier in the match as he found a gap with expert precision in the Tigers
midfield for the touchdown - Van Straaten converting and then adding a penalty
to take a convincing lead.
And when replacement centre Chris Mayor crossed in the right corner, deep into
injury-time, it served merely to add a more convincing look to the scoreline.
Teams
Leicester: Healey, Baxter, Smith, Gibson, F. Tuilagi, Pez,
Ellis, Rowntree, Richards, Morris, Campbell, L. Deacon, Lyle,
Kronfeld, Balding.
Replacements: Tierney for Baxter (75),
Booth for F. Tuilagi (58), Vesty for Pez (66),
H. Tuilagi for Kronfeld (93), W. Skinner for Balding (70).
Not Used: Nebbett, Chuter.
Tries: Baxter, Richards, Smith.
Cons: Pez, Booth.
Pens: Pez 3.
Sale: Going, Cueto, van Straaten, Bond, Hanley, Hodgson,
Walshe, Sheridan, Cairns, Stewart, Fullarton, Schofield,
P. Sanderson, Pinkerton, C. Jones.
Replacements: Mayor for Hanley (77), Yates for Sheridan (70),
Titterell for Cairns (61), Turner for Stewart (70).
Not Used: Lund, Baxendell, Wigglesworth.
Tries: Cueto, Hanley 2, Bond 2, Mayor.
Cons: van Straaten 5.
Pens: van Straaten.
After extra time
Att: 5,542
Ref: Steve Leyshon (RFU).
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