Browse Sections

• Stockport County FC
• Sale Sharks
• Local football
• Local cricket

Gloucester 44 Sale Sharks 24

Jenny Dixon
31/ 1/2007

SHARKS suffered their heaviest defeat of the season on Saturday - a 20-point loss against Gloucester.

Coaches Philippe Saint-Andre and Kingsley Jones returned to Kingsholm, their former stomping ground, and witnessed Gloucester pick holes in the flimsy fabric of Sale's patched together team, running in five tries.

The absence of half of Sharks' injury-ravaged squad (16) would have excused a total meltdown, however, Saint-Andre's exhausted crew managed to score three tries against the third-placed team.

Their tough task proved difficult right from the kick-off when a Gloucester mistake earned Sharks a line-out in their own half.

However, struggling in the set-piece, Sharks were unable to capitalise on the kicking error instead the home side clinched possession and launched an assault on the tryline - Ryan Lamb earning Gloucester an early lead with a try.

The talented fly-half boosted the points tally further, with a conversion and drop goal, before Iain Balshaw added another touchdown, which Lamb also converted.

On the wrong end of a 17-3 scoreline after 15 minutes, Sharks' few fit men and fledglings were floundering and looked set to experience a humiliating mauling.

But the rescue mission began with an improved line-out, after several shoddy efforts.

Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe won the ball and launched a drive for the line. Scrum-half Ben Foden peeled off the back of the maul and skipped through.

The conversion was posted by assured debutant Rhys Jones, son of Sale coach Kingsley.

Having spent his formative years practicing kicks on the Kingsholm turf the Wales under-19 international, playing at full-back, was not cowed by pressure nor apparently perturbed by the kicking curse that claimed four of his predecessors to injury.

A third try by Gloucester, scored by Olivier Azam, preceded the break, after an enforced rest while Lamb was stretchered off with a suspected ankle injury.

Ludovic Mercier replaced him and hit his first kick straight through the uprights to put the half-time score tally at 27-10.

Gloucester's strangle-hold on the game never eased, they added seven more points straight after the break courtesy of a try from Gloucester captain Marco Bortolami, which earned them a valuable bonus point.

Faced with a 24-point deficit Sharks displayed grit and guts to pull back to within ten points.

Dean Schofield received a pass from Sebastien Bruno and blasted into the corner before centre Chris Mayor raced up the pitch to score.

Ambitious Jones attempted to put Sharks within reach of a losing bonus point with a long-range penalty but the ball fell just wide.

The final ten minutes belonged to Gloucester, who scored a fifth try through Ollie Morgan, concluding troubled Sharks' fourth loss in five league games.