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Sale Sharks 53 Newcastle 10

Jenny Dixon
23/ 4/2008

‘WE want Ben’ chanted the Edgeley Park crowd as departing Sharks full-back Ben Foden ran rings around Newcastle Falcons.

Their plea will not have fallen on deaf ears, as Sharks bosses are equally desperate to try to conceive a way to hold onto Foden, who has signed for Northampton Saints.

Foden was awarded man-of-the-match for another striking display in the 15 shirt, scoring a third try in three consecutive matches.

The wannabe England scrum-half helped to spawn many of Sharks attacking moves, Foden proving a visionary inventor who had a hand in several of Sharks’ eight tries against Newcastle.

It took the hosts just 90 seconds to fly through the second-string Falcons’ flimsy defence.

Centre Chris Bell raced onto a sublime pass from flyhalf Charlie Hodgson and cut an angle to the line that prevented any of his rivals getting too close.

Sale winger Selorm Kuadey grabbed the second try on 10 minutes. A break by Foden, from inside his own half, almost led to a try before prop Eifion Roberts knocked on short of the tryline.

However, it mattered little as, from resultant scrum, Newcastle lost the ball in contact, when Sean Cox tackled Falcons No.8 Russell Winter.

Kuadey picked up the loose ball and effortlessly took it across the whitewash.

Bell’s second try and Hodgson’s first successful conversion, gave Sharks 17 points from 17 minutes played, the ease and rate of scoring indicating a rout was on the cards, against under-strength Falcons.

Newcastle tried to hit back but Sharks withstood a sustained pummelling of their line.

Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe secured the bonus point for play-off hopefuls Sharks on 35 minutes, his brother Ignacio supplying the final pass.

Just before the interval Newcastle managed to claw some points back when lock Sean Tomes shunted over by his team-mates.

Falcons flyhalf Rob Miller, starting in the absence of Jonny Wilkinson and Toby Flood, posted the conversion, before putting Newcastle into double figures early in the second half.

But Sharks were never threatened and went on to run in four more tries.

Juan Lobbe scored his second before substitute Will Cliff was sent over by Foden, whose chip was fumbled by wing Tim Visser. Foden recollected and offloaded as he fell, off balance, to a grateful Cliff.

Foden deservedly grabbed a try of his own, jinking easily past his grappling rivals and rewarded with the vocal support of an appreciative crowd.

Michael Hills’ try took Sharks past the half-century mark.