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Bristol 17 Sale Sharks 24

Jenny Dixon
16/ 4/2008

SHARKS took just 20 minutes to storm to victory over Bristol on Friday night, and assume a league play-off spot.

But it was almost an hour before the visitors put any points past their hosts at the Memorial Stadium, and the absence of a fourth try, the reward for which is a bonus point, could yet prove decisive in the season’s closing stages.

For only the fourth time in a Premiership match, since the league was forged in 1997, Bristol and Sharks were glued on 0-0 at half-time.

On a dry pitch, that Sharks flyhalf Charlie Hodgson has been dreaming about for weeks, Hodgson missed a penalty kick in the first half, while both sides struggled to finish off some promising manoeuvres.

Winger Mark Cueto gathered a beautiful inside delivery from Hodgson and looked set to cross the tryline before Bristol’s Dan Ward-Smith barged in to close down the attack.

Bristol too had opportunities, most created through scrum-half Shaun Perry, whose vision and boot at times rivalled Hodgson’s, as both forced back the opposition with long, effective kicks into touch.

However, overall the first-half was a clumsy affair, with neither side able to make their mark.

After the break the deadlock was broken by Ed Barnes with a penalty for Bristol.

But, Sale’s half-time replacement Luke McAlister wasted no time in beginning to explore the ways to wrong-foot the hosts’ defence, and it was from his break that Sharks earned their first points.

Sale skipper Jason White was outwide to receive the final pass of a move, which featured Richard Wigglesworth and Elvis Seveali’i, and sped across the tryline. Hodgson converted.

Bristol hit back with a try from Neil Brew, who appeared to knock the ball on as he headed to the whitewash.

Sharks’ defence relaxed after observing the ball slip away from Brew but he recollected and, seeming hesitant at first, continued his run when referee Tony Spreadbury failed to blow his whistle.

Barnes converted to give Bristol a 10-7 lead, before Sale’s classy full-back Ben Foden came from out of nowhere and side-stepped three opponents, in the style of former Sharks’ captain Jason Robinson, to race 30 metres to score under the posts.

Hodgson converted and minutes later scored his tenth drop goal of the season to put Sharks into a 17-10 lead.

Under-utilised backrow Chris Jones breached the whitewash next for Sharks, and Hodgson again converted.

Bristol fought back and a break from Perry almost led to a try, Sharks spared only by a knock-on.

Then, a minute from time, David Lemi crossed the tryline after a huge drive, from a line-out. The ball was knocked out of Luke Arscott’s hands in the tackle by Manchester’s loan winger Selorm Kuadey but fell straight to Lemi. Jason Strange converted.

Their late rally earned Bristol a bonus point but, more crucially, the 24-17 victory put Sharks back into the Premiership play-off places.