Sale back on track
Sale Sharks bounced back from the disappointment of defeat in their opening Amlin Challenge Cup game with a 59-6 victory over CR La Vila.
Last Updated: 18/11/11 11:23pm
Sale Sharks bounced back from the disappointment of defeat in their opening Amlin Challenge Cup game with a 59-6 victory over CR La Vila.
The Aviva Premiership side ran in nine tries against the Spanish champions with Samoan centre Jonny Leota scoring a hat-trick to put their European campaign back on track after the loss in Brive last weekend.
Sale director of sport Steve Diamond pulled off a surprise when he named Andy Powell as captain for this game but the Wales number eight scored his side's second try and proved instrumental in the victory.
The home team secured a vital bonus point when Leota scored the first of his treble after half-time, with Sale's other tries coming from Andrew Higgins, Luther Burrell, Cillian Willis, Richie Vernon and a penalty try in front of a crowd of 4,190 at Edgeley Park.
Penalised
The part-timers from Spain were constantly under pressure during a one-sided contest and they were repeatedly penalised, although they did manage two first-half penalties from Nick McCashin to go into the break 19-6 behind.
Italian referee Alan Falzone tired of the Spanish side's infringements though and the visitors played for 20 minutes with 14 men when yellow cards were shown to McCashin and his half-back partner Hernan Quirelli in the first and second half respectively.
Sale, tournament winners in 2002 and 2005, now face French side Agen in back-to-back Pool games which will determine whether they qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.
