Fly-half Charlie Hodgson did a 'Jonny' to snatch a Heineken Cup victory for
Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park.
Hodgson emulated England's first-choice fly-half Jonny Wilkinson when he
calmly slotted over a drop goal with just four minutes left of a topsy-turvy
Pool Three clash.
Cardiff displayed the spirit Wales had shown in the World Cup as they
overturned a nine-point deficit, but Hodgson's late strike sent them crashing to
an eighth successive defeat in the European competition.
Flanker Nathan Thomas looked to have given them a morale-boosting victory with
a late try, which Iestyn Harris converted from the touchline. But it was not
enough as Sale immediately responded to give wing Jason Robinson a winning
comeback.
The presence of the Webb Ellis Cup, paraded around the pitch by England coach
Clive Woodward beforehand, and Robinson's return had ensured a sell-out 10,541
crowd at Stockport County's football ground.
But the figure was boosted by a near 1,000-strong contingent from his
birthplace Oldham who were there to welcome former League star Harris back to
his northern roots.
It was Harris who proved the most influential on his return from Rugby World
Cup duties for Wales. He was heavily involved in the move which eventually saw
wing Tom Shanklin go over in the corner for a try with less than two minutes on
the clock.
It was a start Cardiff needed given their miserable record in the cup in
recent years and their poor start in the Celtic League.
Sale, determined to improve on their inaugural campaign of last season when
they managed one victory in the group stages, recovered to take the lead when
wing Mark Cueto scored in the corner.
But Harris kicked three penalties to give his side a narrow four-point
advantage at the interval.
They were helped when French referee Joel Dume showed the yellow card to Sale
prop Andrew Sheridan for persistently infringing in the scrum.
Centre Braam van Straaten kicked two second-half penalties to give Sale the
lead as they upped the tempo.
The Sharks seemed to have killed off the Cardiff challenge on the hour when
Sheridan atoned for his first-half misdemeanours with a try from close range.
The conversion from South African van Straaten gave them a nine-point cushion.
But Cardiff fought back as Harris kicked another penalty before taking his
personal tally to 14 points with his calm conversion under pressure after Thomas
scored on the overlap.
Time was running out, but Sale immediately attacked and got the reward when
Hodgson, who missed the World Cup through injury landed his drop goal with
ease.
Teams:
Sale: Going, Cueto, van Straaten, Bond, Robinson, Hodgson,
Redpath, Sheridan, Titterell, Stewart, Schofield, Fullarton,
White, A. Sanderson, C. Jones.
Replacements: Cairns, Turner, Day, Lund, Mayor, Baxendell, Walshe.
Tries: Cueto, Sheridan.
Cons: van Straaten 2.
Pens: van Straaten 3.
Drop Goals: Hodgson.
Cardiff Blues: R. Williams, Shanklin, J. Robinson, Allen,
I. Harris, Morgan, Powell, Yapp, G. Williams, Crompton,
Quinnell, A. Moore, Baugh, N. Thomas, M. Williams.
Replacements: Evans, Fourie, Senekal, Brownrigg, N. Robinson,
Walne, A. Moore.
Tries: Shanklin, N. Thomas.
Cons: I. Harris.
Pens: I. Harris 4.
Att: 10,541
Ref: Joel Dume (France).
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