European Rugby Champions Cup: Saracens hold out to claim 19-15 win at Sale
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92
Last Updated: 06/12/14 3:58pm
Saracens revived their European Rugby Champions Cup campaign as they held on to claim a 19-15 triumph over Aviva Premiership rivals Sale Sharks at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday.
Last year’s Heineken Cup and Premiership finalists went into Round Three knowing victory was a must given the format of the newly-formed European competition and although their tournament was all but over following successive defeats, Sale were still determined to have their say on the outcome of Pool 1.
Owen Farrell scored the opening try of the match and added six points from the boot and fellow England international Billy Vunipola also scored as Saracens clung on against a spirited Sale side, whose points came courtesy of tries from captain Magnus Lund and Andrei Ostrikov.
Ahead of the match, Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall outlined the importance of intensity and his warning was heeded as the visitors made an explosive start, leading to Charlie Hodgson slotting his first kick of the day against his former employers.
Saracens may have registered the first points, but Sale soon turned the tables and scored the first try of the match from a move sparked by an innovative kick through the middle by Danny Cipriani for Mark Cueto.
Former England winger Cueto was unable to race away but Sale pressed into Saracens territory and when Cipriani eschewed the opportunity to take three points Lund, who entered Round Three as the tournament top tackler, touched down at the back of a well-drilled driving maul.
Cipriani duly added the extras before his opposite number, Hodgson continued to haunt his former club.
Former England fly-half Hodgson made a searing run, evaded four defenders as he raced on the angle and then offered a neat offload to Owen Farrell, who kept his composure to dot down Saracens’ first try of the afternoon.
Expansive
An expansive exchange ensued and Cipriani again underlined his credentials with superb vision and execution to pick out Cueto with a kick over the top, though Sale’s attack broke down when Mark Easter knocked on.
As Hodgson hobbled off injured, Cirpriani swung his full bodyweight through a penalty from the halfway line to nudge Sale ahead, only for Farrell to assume kicking duties and put Saracens back in front with a three-pointer of his own on the cusp of half-time.
While it was ingenuity from the backs that dominated the first period, Saracens’ pack came the fore following the restart as Vunipola claimed their second try of the match.
Although England No 8 Vunipola’s name is marked on the scoresheet, it was an excellently-orchestrated team try from Sarries as George Kruis collected Jamie George’s line-out throw before establishing an unstoppable rolling maul.
Whatever Saracens offered up front, Sale were determined to match them and excellent work from Lund and Marc Jones at the break down allowed Russian lock Ostrikov to power over for a second Sharks try.
Nick MacLeod – on in place of Cipriani – squandered the conversion attempt and moments later Farrell was left with copious amount of time and space to land a drop-goal that gave Saracens a four-point lead with 15 minutes to play.
Stirred on by their impassioned director of rugby Steve Diamond – a former Saracens coach – Sale put the visitors’ defence under intense scrutiny, but they held firm to secure an all-important victory to keep their European hopes alive.
