Mallinder: We were right to go for broke

NORTHAMPTON director of rugby Jim Mallinder insisted that it was the right decision to go for the victory after turning down a shot at the posts in the final minute.

The Saints ended up succumbing 18-15 but Mallinder believed that they had little to lose in looking for the winning try.

“I left it to the players to back their judgment, “ he said.

“We had got a point, we could have taken one more but they thought that they could go for the win and I certainly back that; it was a brave decision. “

Sale coach Paul Deacon thought that the inclement weather in Greater Manchester caused their poor performance in the first half but was pleased with their improvement in the second period.

Deacon said: “We panicked a little bit with the weather conditions and I thought we went into our shells.

“We spoke about that and I thought we changed our mindset quite well, and it was pleasing to get through that tough period at the end.

“I can never doubt the players ‘ character, they ‘re in it together, they ‘re a close group of blokes and going two tries behind and coming back shows that. “