Match report: Sale Sharks 34-3 Exeter Chiefs

On a grisly night in Manchester, Sale Sharks took all the spoils in a 34-3 PREM Rugby Cup victory at the CorpAcq Arena.

Played in the midst of storm Claudia battering the stadium, the men from Manchester judged the conditions best, adapting accordingly and scoring five unanswered tries.

It took both sides time to settle into the encounter, the crowd having to wait until 24 minutes for the first points of the game. Chiefs pressurised Sharks in their 22, ultimately choosing to take a clean shot at goal from a breakdown penalty in the middle of the field.

Captain for the evening, Ben Coen sliced the uprights for three points.

Sale fly-half Rob Du Preez responded with a penalty kick of his own on the half-hour mark after Chiefs became the ones to be penalised at the ruck.

Alex Sanderson’s men ensured they had the stronger foothold in the game going in to half time when back-rower Sam Dugdale scored their first try of the day with five minutes left to play.

Re-gathering a lineout metres out from the Chiefs’ line, Dugdale secured the ball at the rear and was driven over by his fellow forwards for five points.

Half-time: Sale Sharks 8-3 Exeter Chiefs

Chiefs struggled to get started as the second half began, with Sale taking immediate advantage. Storming through the Exeter defensive line, Dugdale got his second as Du Preez added the conversion.

Sharks’ hooker Ethan Caine scored one for the front-rowers on 52 minutes when he burrowed over the line from a close-range maul as Du Preez again slotted the extra two points.

A minute out from an hour played, replacement hooker Tadgh McElroy scored Sale’s bonus-point securing try. Darting down the blindside off a set-piece, he dived over the line for five points which Du Preez quickly turned into seven.

Rubbing salt into the wound for Chiefs fans, former Exeter man Tom O’Flaherty got his name on the scoresheet for the final try of the night. Chasing down a Luke James grubber kick, the winger dotted down, though Du Preez’s conversion attempt was pulled wide by the wind.

An exceedingly frustrating evening for Chiefs was tapered by the more positive news of four players making their club debuts as Louie Gulley, Khwezi Mona, Finn Worley-Brady and Ollie Batson all took to the field.

Skills coach Ricky Pellow spoke post-match explaining that it was the kind of gritty fixture which will hopefully prove to be good for the experience level of the Chiefs squad, though admitted they were highly disappointed at their evening’s performance.

Full-time: Sale Sharks 34-3 Exeter Chiefs

Sale Sharks: L James; T O’Flaherty, J Bedlow, M Louw, A Wills; R Du Preez, G Warr (Thomas 68’); S McIntyre, E Caine (McElroy 54’), J Harper (Bell 55’), E Van Rhyn, T Burrow, J Vermeulen, S Dugdale (Woodman 45’), D Du Preez (Gilmore 50’).

Tries: Dugdale 2, Caine, McElroy, O’Flaherty Conversions: R Du Preez 3 Penalties: R Du Preez

Exeter Chiefs: W Haydon-Wood; D John, H Ascherl (Batson 58’), W Rigg, B Hammersley (Brown-Bampoe 55’); B Coen (c), C Chapman (Cairns 50’); E Burger (Mona 44’), J Heaven (Gulley 44’, Heaven 67’), J Roots (Tchumbadze 44’), R Tuima, L Pearson, R Capstick (Bailey 54’), M Moloney, K James (Worley-Brady 63’).

Penalties: Coen

Referee: Harry Walbaum