Resolute Sale Sharks open Champions Cup account with 29-7 bonus point win against Racing 92.
Sale Sharks avenged their opening round defeat to Glasgow Warriors with a bonus point win against Racing 92.
Sharks have looked back to their best defensive best since Byron McGuigan’s promotion to defence coach over the international break, and this was a good demonstration on their increased physicality as an all-star Racing side were restricted to just one try.
Speaking after their 39-25 win over Leicester Tigers in McGuigan’s first Premiership game in the role, head coach Alex Sanderson said:
“I truly feel if you know you’ve got it in the back pocket to defend, from wherever, whenever, then it frees you up in attack”.
The second half in particular saw Racing starved of territory, whilst Sharks were clinical throughout to score through Jean-Luc du Preez, Tom Roebuck, Joe Carpenter, and Ben Curry.
Alongside five points in the Champions Cup, Sale preserve their home winning run dating back to January this year, and will be pleased to have defied a rare off-day in the lineout with solid aerial work and ball retention.
It was 15 minutes of staunch Sharks defence that preceded Jean-Luc du Preez’s opener, the flanker himself amongst a catalogue of forwards stopping Racing before the gainline before he burrowed over from a pick and go.
Increased territory led to the second try, Roebuck and Tom O’Flaherty working well in aerial battles to establish an attacking scrum. A set play then saw a classic Rob du Preez and George Ford combination to put Joe Carpenter in space, before he released Roebuck out wide to score.
Stuart Lancaster’s men were able to pull one back on the stroke of half time, however, a destructive Cameron Woki carry providing Guram Gogichashvili with the platform to score to take the score to 12-7.
Denying the visitors momentum, Sharks continued to front up physically, forcing Racing to take the kick option before Roebuck leapt in world class fashion to pluck the ball down, race clear and pass inside to set up Carpenter’s try.
The all-important bonus point followed ten minutes later when skipper Ben Curry scored a pick and go, making the most of a yellow card to his opposite man Maxime Baudonne for collapsing a maul.
