Friday, November 11, 2005

FORMER England star Jason Robinson inspired Sale to an 11-point victory over a luck-lustre Warriors during a scrappy clash at Edgeley Park.

Fly-half Shane Drahm scored all Worcester's points with a try, conversion, penalty and drop goal in the 24-13 defeat.

But Robinson, with two tries and a drop goal, helped Sale overcome dogged resistance from a Warriors outfit without skipper Pat Sanderson and prop Chris Horsman through international duty.

Line-out star Craig Gillies also missed the match after failing a fitness test on a tight calf muscle and Richard Blaze stepped in.

Further injury misery came after 25 minutes when Tongan winger Aisea Havili dislocated a finger and was replaced by Johnny Hylton.

Table-topping Sale Sharks were missing 11 players, four to England duty and others to injury, but welcomed back Welsh centre Mark Taylor and French powerhouse Sebastien Chabal.

And the Sharks, undefeated at home this season, started stronger during an untidy opening, which was committed and physical but lacked cohesion.

A smart break by Sale number 10 Valentin Courrent and a Worcester infringement at the breakdown allowed full-back Daniel Larrechea to slot a penalty on four minutes.

The Warriors replied instantly with strong forward play allowing Drahm to knock over a 30-metre drop goal, from wide right, for 3-3.

Both sides tried to find their rhythm -- Sale with three penalties and a drop goal slipping wide, Worcester through good line-out ball from Kai Horstmann and a powerful run from Havili -- but the execution was lacking.

On the half-hour, outstanding Warriors defence repelled the Sharks' pack and the visitors' full back, Nicolas Le Roux, then broke two tackles in a 50m-upfield surge.

But Sale took full advantage when Warriors flanker Johnny Tuamoheloa was sin-binned on 37 minutes for deliberately killing the ball. Courrent slotted the penalty for 6-3.

On the stroke of half time, a bullocking run by Chabal and slick hands from the Sale backs put Robinson in at the corner.

Courrent added the touchline conversion for 13- 3 at half-time, but 14-man Warriors came out fighting after the break.

The Sixways side gained good field position from the kick off and, after a drive from centre Thomas Lombard, Drahm darted under the sticks. His conversion made it 13-10.

Throughout the game the Warriors line-out had been solid but far from commanding in the absence of Gillies, and a set-piece error handed Sale and Robinson a second try.

Chabal scooped up an over-thrown line-out ball, just inside the visitors' half, and fed it wide for the skipper to slide in at the corner on 48 minutes.

A missed conversion followed by a Drahm penalty made it 18-13 with half-an-hour left.

Courrent added a penalty of his own and Robinson a drop goal to complete the scoring in a match that lacked fluidity.

Saosi Vaili and Matt Powell replaced Horstmann and Andy Gomarsall on the hour and both were effective. Hylton, on in the first-half, also made an impact. Phil Murphy and Horstmann took some impressive set-piece ball and, on occasions, the powerful Warriors eight threatened to get on top, before mistakes crept in.

Equally, there were breaks from the backs -- slick footwork from Le Roux and Drahm and muscular runs from Havili and Lombard -- but most were undone by handling errors.

Director of rugby John Brain made no excuses. "I don't think missing three players was a factor for us because throughout the game they controlled the kicking battle," he said.

"We came in 10 points behind. That could've been overcome but in the second-half we made too many mistakes."