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Worcester 33 Sale Sharks 48

Jenny Dixon
15/ 2/2006

PHILIPPE Saint-Andre has always made it clear that his first-team is not a closed shop.

This assertion must have been in Sale Sharks reserve players' minds as they exceeded all expectations to run in six tries against Worcester at Sixways, on Saturday.

The loss of five players to the RBS Six Nations, last year a curse for Sharks, instead proved to be a blessing as the depleted side recorded a 48-33 victory, Sale's biggest league away win since 2000.

The decisive bonus point victory even surprised Sharks head coach Kingsley Jones.

He said: "Before the match I thought it would be more like three all, that scoreline surprised me a lot.

"It was a great statement - we've come here with a couple of players missing due to internationals, although we've not been hit as badly as Wasps and other clubs.

"Last season we had a tough time here but we said before the match 'no excuses'."

With Charlie Hodgson attending to his England duties, Valentin Courrent proved a more than adequate replacement at fly-half, scoring Sharks' first try and kicking 18 points.

It is little wonder that Sale's backs have been bereft of possession of late, prop Lionel Faure took it upon himself to break the defensive line and sprint up the pitch.

Fellow forward Dean Schofield finished off the running move with a try under the posts.

Worcester, on the wrong side of a 17-3 scoreline, decreased the deficit to just three points within a five minute period, Aisea Havili and Shane Drahm the try-scorers.

The frenzied pace continued after the interval allowing Sililo Martens, Andy Titterrell, and Steve Hanley, on his return from injury, to run in tries.

Nicolas Le Roux added a third for Worcester but Sharks' stealthy defence in the final minutes denied the home side a bonus point.

It was a battered and bruised but elated Sharks' team that departed from the pitch.

Even captain Jason Robinson, who sustained a knock to the head in the second half, managed to stagger from the dressing room to witness the incredible win.

Head coach Jones said the former England star was 'fine' but faced routine cognitive tests to rule out concussion.

More worrying was the plight of John Carter whose shoulder dislocated four times during the match.

"We know he needs surgery and we are hoping he can get it after this Six Nations period," said Jones. "The boy's got a heart as big as Worcester, he didn't want to come off the pitch."

Sale: J Robinson (capt, C Mayor 68), O Ripol, M Taylor (N Wakley), R Todd, S Hanley, V Courrent, S Martens (R Wigglesworth 82), L Faure (B Coutts 49), A Titterrell, S Turner (B Stewart 55), I Lobbe (Day 82), D Schofield, C Jones, J Carter (N Bonner Evans 53), S Chabal.