Hodgson slays Saints

Charlie Hodgson led Sale to a 32-20 victory over Northampton at Edgeley Park.

Champions Sale Sharks got their title challenge up and running with a 32-20 victory over Northampton at Edgeley Park.

The Sharks were narrowly beaten at Leicester last week but threw down a marker to their rivals with an impressive display against the Saints.

England fly-half Cahrlie Hodgson was in masterly form, pulling the strings behind the ruck and punishing Northampton time and again with the depth and accuracy of his kicking.

Hodgson and winger Mark Cueto combined to great effect, which is good news for England fans as well as Sales' - if they can match this form the world champions may not be entirely toothless when the All Blacks arrive in November.

But for now the pair are concentrating on lifting Sale's season and with the Sharks pack dominating, they were given free reign to showcase their skills.

Hodgson slotted a penalty from just inside the Saints half after six minutes when the visitors were pinged for going over the top, then added another on the quarter-hour mark when Paul Tupai was penalised and sin-binned for illegal use of the shoulder.

Bruce Reihana hit back with a penalty for offside, but with Tupai off the pitch, Sale took full advantage with a well-worked team try as Hodgson marshalled the attack with patience in the knowledge that a gap would eventually appear in the Saints defence.

It did after three men were required to halt the marauding run of Sebastien Chabal two yards short of the line and when the ball was recycled Hodgson sent Cueto crashing over for his 52nd Premiership try.

The next 15 minutes belonged to Hodgson's boot as he knocked over a penalty and two sweetly struck drop-goals, but it was Northampton who finished the half on a high.

Sean Lamont timed his cut inside from the left wing to perfection, taking Carlos Spencer's inside pass to crash over and cut the half-time deficit to 22-10.

Northampton were right back into the game five minutes after the break as Spencer and Reihana stretched the Sale defence and Tupai was on hand to finish in the corner.

But the Sharks were still dominating the contact areas and only a lack of composure from Chris Mayor cost them a try three minutes later, the centre knocking on after fatally delaying his pass to Cueto, who had a free run to the line.

But on 54 minutes Magnus Lund did have a free run in after Chris Bell charged down Reihana's attempted clearance on the 22, although the back row was clearly a couple of yards offside when he collected the ball.

The Saints continued to battle and Lund was sin-binned for cynically killing the ball two yards from the Sale line, but when the visitors decided to take a line-out, they lost the ball and Hodgson cleared.

Hodgson's boot stretched the lead to 32-15, although when Spencer's short pass put Lamont crashing over for his second try, Saints still had plenty to play for in the last five minutes.

A try would have earned them two bonus points but the Sale defence held firm and Saints have nothing to show for a brave effort in the home of the champions.