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Record rests on Sharks' game against Gloucester

Jenny Dixon
24/ 9/2008

SHARKS could be on the cusp of becoming record-breakers thanks to their impeccable try defence this season.

If the Stockport-based team can keep Gloucester from crossing the tryline at Edgeley Park on Friday, Sharks will become the first side in Premiership history to play four matches without conceding a try.

Sale’s head coach Kingsley Jones is hoping the prospect of claiming a record will be an added incentive for his team.

He explained: "Every game we go into, the objective is to not concede a try but we have that record to chase now. It might give us that extra edge to hang on in there to get that record."

Long-serving second row Chris Jones has been in the starting line-up for all three of Sharks’ wins this season and is hoping that as well, as maintaining a water-tight defence, his side can start scoring some tries of their own.

Twenty-eight-year-old Jones [pictured] came tantalisingly close to scoring a try against Bristol last weekend but knocked on - meaning Sharks’ total try tally still stands at one, by Charlie Hodgson.

"If you look at the three games there’s not been a lot in it so they could have gone either way," Chris Jones said of Sharks three victories this season, all of which have been won by five points or less. "We know we’ve not been firing in that department and we’ve got to raise our game for Gloucester."

He added: "Every year defences are getting better and better and with the new law changes it is going to take a few games to work out the loopholes and where to score. We’ve got some of the best backs in the world playing for us, we’ve just got to give them the ball and I’m sure it will come."

Sharks are currently second in the Premiership league table, having beaten Bristol, Saracens and Newcastle.

But they are now entering one of the toughest periods of their season with three games in eight days, against Bristol [on Friday], London Irish [Wednesday, October 1] and an EDF Energy Cup tie against Cardiff Blues [Saturday, October 4].

It is the sort of pressured time-frame that Sharks have purpose-built their squad to deal with.

"I’ve never actually felt as much competition in the forwards," admitted Jones, who is one of 13 second/back row players in Sale’s squad. "It spurs everyone on to train harder, work harder and you know that if people are going to be rested or are injured someone can take that spot and do a good job."

Last season Jones was sin-binned in Sharks’ home tie against Gloucester, but for those playing in the pack, falling foul of the referee is an occupational hazard.

"I don’t want to get yellow cards but you live on the edge. Sometimes that boils over and you get sin-binned for it," he explained. "You always try to live on the edge and I’ll maintain that in my game."