A last gasp winner from Ben Bamber helped Sale Sharks beat Newcastle Falcons 19-17 and qualify for the Premiership Rugby Cup quarterfinals.
Bamber’s try, just the second of his career, spared Sharks’, and Waisea Nayacalevu’s blushes, after Sale had finally worked a try scoring chance in the 70th minute, only for the centre to spill the ball over the line.
It earns Sale an away quarterfinal against Exeter Chiefs at the end of February, redeeming losses to Newcastle in November, and Doncaster last week, that threatened to see them drop out of the competition.
With plenty at stake coming into the game, Sale started the game well against a full strength Falcons side with tries from Tadgh McElroy and Bevan Rodd. Despite spending much of the second half under the cosh, Sale restricted the visitors to just one penalty, ensuring Falcons remained within one score before Bamber won it with the clock in the red.
There were eyebrows raised this week when the new Rugby 25 videogame ranked Sale’s third choice hooker McElroy as the second best player in the world, second only to Antoine Dupont. However, the Irishman backed up those claims with the game’s opener, an unstoppable effort from all of one yard out.
In what was a frustrating first half pattern, Newcastle didn’t have to wait long for their equaliser, scrum half Sam Stuart sniping over from close range.
Nonetheless, Sale were able to dominate possession and territory, and following some strong carrying from Nayacalevu, the Fijian winger who until now has flattered to deceive, Rodd burrowed over from a quick tap play.
Once again, though, Newcastle levelled the scores quickly when Ben Stevenson gathered his own chip and chase on the full, before rounding the covering Tom Curtis to finish a fantastic solo score.
Sale’s grip on field position slipped, however, in the second half as Newcastle discipline tightened up, forcing the hosts to overplay in the midfield. Numerous spilt balls and a collection of backfoot kicks pinned the Sharks in their own 22 for much of the third quarter, but Falcons struggled to make the scoreboard pay.
A Brett Connon penalty finally broke a half hour deadlock in the 65th minute, and with the territorial pressure valve finally loosened, Sale mounted an attack. A sequence of top level offloading gave Nayacalevu the space to coast in but, to the disbelief of an already celebrating crowd, Falcons’ fullback Elliott Obatoyinbo forced the spill as Nayacalevu nonchalantly placed the ball down.
Undeterred, Sale kept the ball in Newcastle’s half and, with the clock in the red, Bamber finished off a sequence of pick and goes to secure the win.
