PHILIPPE Saint-Andre may have known more miserable weekends in his time as Sale Sharks' director of rugby, but right now it's hard to think of one.

A weekend semi-final assignment in the West Country that started with a nightmare seven-hour coach journey due to an accident on the M6, then saw Sale's hopes of European Challenge Cup glory blown away by a quite magnificent 36-14 display by Bath.

And it ended with more than half of the Sharks squad hobbling off the sun-drenched Recreation Ground to join an ever-lengthening injury list.

The end result means that Sale's entire season now rests on next Sunday's trip to Harlequins for what will be a virtual `winner- takes-all' Guinness Premiership shoot-out with the prize of a top four finish and a place in next season's lucrative Heineken Cup at stake.

The only problem is that after surveying a dressing room that on Saturday resembled Emergency Ward 10, Saint-Andre simply has no idea who, of his top-flight troops, will be fit and available for what will be the Sharks' biggest game since their Guinness Premiership triumph at Twickenham in 2006.

Among the small army of casualties limping on to the team coach were fly-half Charlie Hodgson (face and shoulder), wing Oriol Ripol (arm) and England prop Andrew Sheridan.

They joined back row giants Sebastien Chabal, Jason White and Magnus Lund already on the Edgeley Park treatment table.

Such was the mayhem that by the end, giant second row Brent Cockbain was forced to deputise for Hodgson at stand-off.

No wonder that Sale's French general looked like a man who had dropped a tenner and found a penny.

"You have to accept it when a team are better than you," admitted Saint-Andre. "Bath simply overpowered us and as a team they looked like we did two years ago.

"We made a lot of mistakes as well as a lot of poor handling and our preparation wasn't ideal because of our delay in getting here but I am not crying or complaining.

"Now I am crossing my fingers that White and Chabal will be fit for nextweekend. But I am confident I can raise the players but we need to be focused as the Harlequins match is a huge, huge game for us. And at least we will have the advantage of a long week's preparation because we go to the Stoop on Sunday."

In contrast, Bath coach Steve Meehan crowed: "In the most beautiful surroundings of any rugby park, it was an absolute joy."

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