By Tom Jeffries
Sale Sharks’ returning internationals injected the quality to kick off their Premiership run-in with a 34-15 win vs Newcastle.
Seven of Sharks’ starting XV featured in the Six Nations in some capacity and two of the top performers last week in Cardiff – Tom Roebuck and George Ford – conspired to lay on five tries at Kingston Park.
Sharks Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson spoke in the week about Roebuck’s progression in post-contact metres and twice did the 6”3 winger breach the Falcons defence to set up tries for Bevan Rodd and Rob du Preez.
Man of the match Ford’s touches were typically classy, some rapid hands and pinpoint kicking assisting Tom O’Flaherty and Joe Carpenter either side of a Tadgh McElroy maul try.
Whilst the result was never in doubt, a subdued Ford at full time epitomised points left on the field for Sale, and once again Byron McGuigan’s defence proved overwhelming.
Those returning England players made their impact promptly, with Ford getting a second touch on the ball to send Roebuck into the Falcons 22. Off refreshingly quick ball Rodd attacked in the outside channels and, like a prime Sam James, skipped past two tacklers to score from 18m out.
A litany of attacking Falcons lineouts ensued leading to former Shark centurion Nield to score his first Newcsatle try from a shift-drive maul.
Despite working hard to wrestle their way back in, Newcastle couldn’t mitigate for individual brilliance when Roebuck created his second try of the night. 65m out, Roebuck claimed front foot ball and stepped inside one, muscled through another two, and offloaded out the back to Carpenter who fed Rob du Preez for the try.
Wrestling themselves out of a wind-swept kicking battle, Sharks scored with the last act of the half when hands close to the line by Ben Curry and Ma’asi White sent Carpenter into the 22 and some lightning quick hands by George Ford released Tom O’Flaherty.
The bonus point try followed soon after the break when McElroy finished off Sale’s fifth maul try of the season, giving license for the away side to open up the playbook and give good game time for peripheral players like Sam Dugdale and Nye Thomas.
Whilst this came at the expense of some over-ambitious handling errors, a top quality fifth was scored by Carpenter as he reached a Ford cross-field kick at full stretch to dot down.
