Leinster got back on course for the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a superb
win at Edgeley Park to make amends for their shock home defeat by the Sharks.
Sale let slip a 13-3 lead in an end-to-end encounter to undo the good work
from their win at Lansdowne Road after crucially losing fly-half Charlie Hodgson
with a knee injury.
Hodgson, drop-goal hero of last week's 23-22 win in Dublin and plagued by knee
problems for the last 12 months, struggled after picking up a knock early in the
game and bravely battled on until the 35th minute when he was replaced by Braam
van Straaten.
With Jonny Wilkinson still recuperating from a shoulder injury, the latest
setback for Hodgson will be a major worry for England coach Clive Woodward a
month before the opening RBS 6 Nations game against Italy.
There was gloomy news, too, for Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan, with Lions
flanker Eric Miller taken off at half-time with a shoulder injury and number
eight Victor Costello limping off four minutes into the second half.
But Leinster lifted their game magnificently to overcome the double blow.
The Dublin side were boosted by the return of fly-half Christian Warner, whose
absence with a quad injury proved so crucial in last week's home defeat, and
Gordon D'Arcy proved a useful deputy at outside centre for the sidelined Brian
O'Driscoll.
Yet the Sharks, once more dominant in the set-pieces, made the best possible
start, with winger Steve Hanley swooping on a rebound from Shane Horgan's
attacking kick and racing 60 metres for the game's first try on six minutes.
Hodgson put over the conversion and kicked two penalties for a 100% record as
Sale led 13-3 after only 13 minutes but van Straaten missed two of his three
penalty attempts and they proved crucial by the end.
The visitors ought to have made more of two clean breaks from Warner but they
demonstrated clinical finishing on 26 minutes when the ever-dangerous Horgan
broke through the first line of defence to send winger John McWeeney over for
his side's first try.
Scrum-half Brian O'Meara kept Leinster well in the hunt with a conversion and
two penalties and they hit the front for the first time on 51 minutes when the
impressive D'Arcy sliced past his opposite number Chris Mayor and sent winger
Brendan Burke over.
As van Straaten's normal accuracy deserted him, O'Meara put over a third
penalty before losing his 100% record and Leinster were forced to defend
desperately in the closing stages before celebrating a notable success.
Teams:
Sale: Robinson, Cueto, Mayor, Bond, Hanley, Hodgson, Redpath,
Yates, Cairns, Turner, Fullarton, Schofield, White, Sanderson,
C. Jones.
Replacements: Going for Mayor (68),
van Straaten for Hodgson (35), Stewart for Turner (67),
Lund for Schofield (56).
Not Used: Roddham, Day, Wigglesworth.
Tries: Hanley.
Cons: Hodgson.
Pens: Hodgson 2, van Straaten.
Leinster: Dempsey, McWeeney, D'arcy, Horgan, Burke, Warner,
O'Meara, Corrigan, S. Byrne, Coyle, O'Kelly, Gissing, Miller,
Gleeson, Costello.
Replacements: McCullen for Miller (40),
Dillon for Costello (44).
Not Used: Bohan, G. Hickie, O'Riordan, Leek, Quinlan.
Tries: McWeeney, Burke.
Cons: O'Meara 2.
Pens: O'Meara 3.
Att: 10,417
Ref: Rob Dickson (SRFU).
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