Times match report

[Heathen]

Ben Curry takes leading role as Sale dominate Wasps


Wasps 11 Sale Sharks 20

So much for the concept of free-flowing summer rugby. For much of this scrappy, disjointed game, played in miserably squally conditions, there was little in the way of cohesive attacking play, never mind try-scoring opportunities. If there had been a crowd, they might have been tempted to go home early to beat the traffic.

None of which was ultimately of concern to Sale Sharks, who managed the conditions shrewdly to reassert themselves in the top four of the Gallagher Premiership following disappointing defeats in their previous two games, climbing above their vanquished opponents into third place.

They scored the first try of the game through Luke James, the full back, overpowered Wasps in the scrum and had the game’s outstanding performer in Ben Curry, giving a passable impersonation in more ways than one of his twin brother, Tom, the England flanker, who was rested last night as the teams juggle their resources.

The victory was sealed for Sale in the 61st minute, when Sale sprung a blindside move and quick hands from fly half A J MacGinty put James into the right-hand corner. The full back landed over the line on his back under a double tackle from Dan Robson and Ryan Mills, but managed to roll over and extend Sale’s lead to 14 points, a gap that Wasps, who had won both their previous game since the restart, never looked like closing.

With Eddie Jones, the England head coach, looking on from the stands, Curry was the dominant figure at the breakdown and Sale, in contrast to their defeat to Exeter Chiefs on Friday, kept their discipline in check. “Ben is one of the best back-row forwards in the country,” Steve Diamond, the Sale director of rugby, said. “He hasn’t had the recognition with England, but I’m sure that will come. Resting his brother up tonight, [Ben] always takes it to another level. I’m sure Tom will come back in practice and raise the roof on Saturday against Bristol.”

Wasps enjoyed some success with their maul in the first half, but their own dynamic flankers, Jack Willis and Thomas Young, were held at arm’s length by a Sale pack who grew in strength as the game progressed. Sale had led 9-6 at half-time as Jimmy Gopperth and AJ MacGinty duelled from the kicking tee. The fly half added two more penalty goals after the break and provided the slick service that enabled James to cross in the corner.

Willis barged over for a late try for Wasps, but a shanked conversion from Jimmy Gopperth, denying the home side a bonus point, rather summed up the home side’s evening.

Scorers: Wasps: Try:Willis (79min). Penalty goals: Gopperth 2 (9, 38). Sale Sharks: Try: L James (61). Penalty goals: MacGinty 5 (8, 36, 40+1, 48, 56).

Scoring sequence (Sale first): 0-3, 3-3, 3-6, 6-6, 6-9 (half-time), 6-12, 6-15, 6-20, 11-20.

Wasps: M Minozzi; Z Kibirige, M Fekitoa, J Gopperth, J Bassett (rep: R Mills, 39-41); J Umaga (C Atkinson, 73), D Robson (B Vellacott, 62); B Harris (T West, 49), T Taylor (T Cruse, 62), J Toomaga-Allen (J Owlett, 52), J Launchbury, W Rowlands, J Willis, T Young, B Shields (rep: S Vailanu, 39-41, 64).

Sale Sharks: L James; D Solomona, C Doherty, R J van Rensburg, A Reed; A J MacGinty, W Cliff; R Harrison (V Morozov, 65), C Langdon, J Cooper-Woolley (C Oosthuizen, 59), M Postlethwaite, J Phillips (L de Jager, 59), C Neild (J-L du Preez, 77), B Curry, J Ross (sin-bin, 76).

Referee: C Maxwell-Keys.