Leeds' defence of the Powergen Cup ended with a convincing loss to a rampant
Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park.
The Sharks earned the all-important bonus point to keep their chances of
reaching the semi-finals alive.
Leeds, who have failed to win this season, had no answer to the home side's
powerful forwards and the pace of Spanish winger Oriol Ripol who scored a
hat-trick on a rare outing.
Phil Davies' injury hit side - without the influential Iain Balshaw and Tom
Palmer and the rested Justin Marshall - must have hoped to face the same
weakened Sharks team that had lost to Newcastle in the first group match.
But Philippe Saint-Andre, who admitted his team could not afford any more
slip-ups if they were to reach the semi-finals, named a team which included
Lions Jason Robinson and Mark Taylor, along with Sebastien Chabal, Sebastien
Bruno and Magnus Lund.
The Sharks looked eager to impress and went ahead in the third minute through
a Robert Todd try after a powerful run by number eight Chabal. Valentin Courrent
failed with the conversion
But the dominant Chabal was to the fore again when his run and a neat Courrent
pass allowed Ripol to score his first try of the night in the 12th minute which
Courrent converted.
Leeds, in an entertaining opening quarter, crossed the line with their first
attack when scrum-half Danny Care darted over from the scrum for a try, which
Gordon Ross converted.
But any hope of a Tykes comeback ended when the Sharks scored their third try
to move 19-7 ahead.
Quick lineout ball allowed prop Lionel Faure to burst through a vacant Leeds
defence for a converted try.
Jason Robinson brought a cheer from the sparse Sale crowd when he created the
fourth try to secure the bonus point.
The full-back took a line-out quickly at halfway and danced through the Tykes'
defence. Sharks forwards were there in numbers and a Courrent pass allowed Ripol
to score, which Courrent converted.
Ross hit back with a penalty in the dying minutes of the first half to make it
26-10 at the break but the match was as good as over for the Tykes.
Sale were quick to score again after the interval when a David Doherty mistake
at full-back gave the Sharks' dominant pack the opportunity to drive for a
Bruno-converted try.
The Sharks continued to dominate and scored when Ripol crossed in the corner
with 10 minutes remaining. Courrent was successful with the touchline
conversion.
Winger Steve Hanley scored in injury time after a period of sustained pressure
to compound Tykes misery.
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