London Irish head coach Toby Booth believes his side are on a "winning ticket" after beating Sale.
London Irish head coach senses exciting times ahead
London Irish head coach Toby Booth believes his side are on a "winning ticket" after ending Sale Sharks' four-game unbeaten run.
Peter Hewat's 13-point haul helped fire the Exiles to a 28-6 win at the Madejski Stadium, with Sale limited to just two Charlie Hodgson penalties.
And for Booth, who took over the top job when England boss Martin Johnson recruited Brian Smith for the national team set-up, it represents the progression that continues to be made.
"We brought the defensive intensity that we had against Wasps and if you have nights like that you are on a winning ticket," said Booth.
"With the strike force we have got, and a lot of passion and a lot of competitiveness - and that is the real thing that is fuelling this side to go forward.
"If you can tell me a side that can turn around to 20-3 down and win and come up against Sale, who are a fantastic side with fantastic players that are very well coached and have a massive defensive record, then that means you are on the right ticket and that is very important."
Safety
Meanwhile, Sale director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre hinted concerns over his players' safety would force him to rotate his squad against Cardiff on Saturday in the EDF Energy Cup - their third game in eight days.
"I will do a lot of changes because the safety of the players is more important," said the Frenchman.
Sale's director of rugby conceded his team deserved to lose their unbeaten Guinness Premiership record this season, but was confused about the number of penalties his side conceded from scrums.
"You have (Andrew) Sheridan in your scrum and you are penalised (rather) than the other team - it is a bit of a joke for me," he added.
"They did well, they are clever, they are crafty and there are some fantastic match winners and they deserved to win today.
"We made too many mistakes, we dropped too many balls in contact, we did not keep the ball enough and against a team like them, if you lose the ball in contact, they punish you."
Saint-Andre also reported that Sebastian Bruno will have a scan on his damaged bicep on Thursday and could be out for between 12 and 16 weeks.
