Mark Taylor ended a turbulent week on a high by scoring a vital try as Sale
kept up their impressive march at the summit of the Guinness Premiership with a
hard-fought win over Leicester.
The 32-year-old has been at the centre of a club-versus-country row, with the
Sharks refusing to allow him to play for Wales against South Africa this
weekend, citing a clause they claim was inserted in his contract giving the club
priority over his services.
Playing him against the Tigers looks sure to spark a rumpus with the sport's
authorities but Sale will not care a jot as he helped guide them to a sixth
successive league victory.
His 39th-minute try turned the game the Sharks' way, just as Leicester were
starting to gain the upper hand, and from that point on, the hosts never looked
back.
Magnus Lund's touchdown at the start of the second half gave them further
momentum as the Tigers, whose points came the boot of Ross Broadfoot and a late
Matt Cornwell try, failed to turn a number of clear-cut opportunities into
decisive scores.
Daniel Larrachea and Valentin Courrent shared kicking duties to add the
remainder of the points for Sale, whose relentless charge in the league shows no
sign of abating.
The Tigers got off to the worst possible start, flanker Tom Croft being given
a spell in the sin-bin for punching Sale lock Dean Schofield in the fifth
minute.
Larrachea booted over the resulting penalty - and then two more - as Sale
nudged 9-0 ahead in an error-ridden opening 20 minutes, which was only livened
up by some bullocking charges by Sharks duo Nathan Bonner-Evans and Robert
Todd.
A malfunctioning line-out did not help Leicester's cause, with hooker George
Chuter throwing too long on three occasions, but they finally made inroads into
the Sale 22 in the 23rd minute when Dan Hipkiss was denied a try by a last-gasp
lunge by Schofield.
The Sharks' advantage was narrowed to just three points when Broadfoot knocked
over two penalties and only try-saving tackles by Oriol Ripol and Larrachea
stopped Tigers winger Tom Varndell putting his side ahead.
After withstanding a barrage of pressure, the hosts notched the game's first
try five minutes before the interval.
Piercing breaks by first Todd and then Ripol did the initial damage and with
the Tigers defence stretched, Larrachea fed Taylor, who breezed over in the
corner. Courrent added the extras.
Broadfoot's third penalty made it 16-9 on half-time but within a minute of the
restart, Sale claimed their second touchdown.
Epi Taione caused havoc in the Tigers ranks with a run and after the ball was
fired out to Ripol on the right wing, Lund was on hand to receive the Spaniard's
pass and dive over.
Courrent missed the conversion but added a penalty in the 56th minute as Sale
began to dominate proceedings in the forward battle.
Bonner-Evans was sent to the sin-bin for the final 10 minutes for slowing down
the ball but still Leicester could not take advantage until it was too late.
Varndell again went close in the left corner while the Sharks did well to hold
up a rolling maul that crashed over the line but was stopped from being
grounded.
Leicester's only try came in injury time when substitute Cornwell barged over
underneath the posts moments after Barry Stewart had become the second home
player to be sent to the sin-bin.
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