Lively Arron Reed lights the spark to ignite Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks …………………. 31pts
Tries: Roebuck 18, 47, Warr 36, Cowan-Dickie 63, 71
Conversions: R du Preez 19, 37, 72
Gloucester ………………….. 27pts
Tries: T Williams 6, 57, Englefield 74, Llewellyn 78
Conversions: Barton 58, 79
Penalties: Barton 39
Arron Reed proved to be Sale’s pivotal weapon, and the perfect foil in both attack and defence to ensure Sharks came out on the right side of a nine-try nail-biter on Friday.
The Chester-born flyer showed why Gregor Townsend courted him for Scotland as, despite not getting on the scoresheet against Gloucester, there was no doubt who was the key component in Alex Sanderson’s side.
Alongside Reed’s sterling display, fellow winger Tom Roebuck and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie marked earning call-ups to England’s training squad with two tries a piece.
Sale director of rugby Sanderson hopes the win changes the rhetoric around his injury-hit squad, which is missing nine players despite being just two weeks into the season.
He said: “I’m so happy for Roebuck, and Cow-an-Dickie especially. Luke’s sacrificed a lot over the summer and has worked hard to get the call-up this week for England. It was a bit of a statement that he means business this season.
“This result, this display, shows the maturation of our team. I reckon there was only one positive question put to me in the press call on Tuesday, the rest we’re about injuries and who is missing.
“Nights like this show that if we can shift that focus to one of positivity about who actually took to the field – 19-year-old Tom Burrows, props Tumy Onasanya, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, and James Harper. All young English lads putting in good performances, showing they’re capable at Premiership level.”
First Half
Gloucester, buoyed by their 18-point fightback derby win over Bristol last week, dominated early on and were rewarded for their endeavour in the sixth minute.
A smart break by fly-half Gareth Anscombe, with a lovely step off his right foot, started the move before blindside Jack Clement’s inside pass set up skipper Tomos Williams to scamper over on the right.
Sale earned some territory and a quick attack in Gloucster’s 22 saw Reed as first receiver off a scrum, with a slick inside ball to Rob du Preez and Roebuck for the winger to dash over.
Du Preez’s 19th minute conversion put Sale ahead 7-5, giving Sharks’ a lead they never relinquished.
Despite having 65 per cent possession in the first half, Gloucester couldn’t break down Sale’s defence and Christian Wade’s departure with a rib injury on the half-hour mark took the wind out of their sails.
A quick break from a lineout near halfway saw Roebuck turn provider for scrum-half Gus Warr to slide over between the sticks, before Gloucester full-back George Barton’s 35 metre penalty narrowed it to a one-score game at half-time.
Second Half
A strong lineout on the left led to Sale’s two wingers combining; Reed producing an electric diagonal cross-field run to pull apart the West Country side and set up Roebuck on the right.
Gloucester stayed true to this season’s promise to play from anywhere, conjuring a breakaway try from their own half before the hour, Williams scoring his second after hacking on Charlie Atkinson’s kick.
Recalled England hooker Cowan-Dickie scored twice in eight minutes to round-out the win. A du Preez 50-22 led to a Sale lineout drive try for Cowan-Dickie in the 63rd minute, before a smart blindside lineout play allowed Reed to splinter the visitors for the former Exeter Chief to dive over in the corner for his second.
Gloucester’s heads never dropped, winger Max Llewellyn evaded Roebuck for a switch-back with replacement No.9 Caolan Englefield dotting down, and a 60-metre chase-down tackle from Reed didn’t halt Llewellyn from a late bonus point try.
Close-Up
ROB DU PREEZ Sale fly-half V GARETH ANSCOMBE Gloucester fly-half
Despite all the English quality on show, one of the best matchups was between two imported stars. Gloucester’s Welsh signing Anscombe linked up fantastically with countryman Tomos Williams for the first try.
But du Preez dominated the second half to win this battle, acting as the perfect link man between the forwards and backs to have a hand in three of Sale’s tries.
