Guinness Premiership

Sale Sharks..............................30
Newcastle Falcons...................32

Neil Leigh at Edgeley Park

So, in the end, Sale lived to fight another season in the top tier of English rugby union – but as pyrrhic triumphs go, their ‘achievement’ takes some beating.

Having conspired to lose their own ‘must-win’ relegation clash with the Falcons in spectacular style following a fluffed last-minute drop goal from Charlie Hodgson, the Sharks were left relying on Leeds to prevail in their own death or glory shoot-out with Worcester.

And after a nerve-shredding afternoon that, in eerie echoes of events at Edgeley Park 48 hours earlier saw a last-second Worcester drop kick charged down, Leeds’ 12-10 win condemned the Warriors to the drop.

As far as Sale are concerned, however, that’s pretty much where the good news begins and ends.

Now that the dust has settled, the brutal truth is that they have survived thanks to the ineptitude of others.

When they took their place in the spotlight against a poor Newcastle side shorn of their own talisman, former All Black superstar Carl Hayman, Sale were found wanting.

Off the field, the club had made all the right noises. Owner Brian Kennedy had fired out a rousing pre-match call to arms, and Sharks were rewarded with their biggest home crowd in a year.

What those supporters witnessed was more akin to a comedy of errors than a bold statement of intent as the indiscipline and anxiety which have been the hallmarks of Sale’s travails all season long, took centre stage once more.

And the fact that Falcons’ Kiwi fly-half Jimmy Gopperth produced a faultless display with the boot, meant that Jones’ players were punished to the full for their many indiscretions.

Indeed Gopperth led a merry dance through some powder-puff tackling to score a try under the posts after two earlier penalties to put Newcastle 13-0 ahead.

Sale struck back after a sublime Hodgson pass allowed full-back Marika Vakacegu the time and space to score his first league try of the season. Though the Sharks pack was finally cottoning on that they could motor through the opposition, more brittle indiscipline allowed Gopperth to put the boot in twice more before the break as the Falcons went in 19-10 to the good.

The drama was cranked up even further after the break when, after Gopperth had extended Newcastle’s lead, three quickfire Hodgson penalties and a sublime drop goal drew Sale level at 22-22 on the hour.

But with the packed ground bouncing and the home fans in full voice, a five metre line-out on the Sale line gifted Newcastle a try in farcical scenes, as Neil Briggs’ throw squirmed through Dean Schofield and Richard Wigglesworth.

Outrageous

While the Sharks players dallied and dithered, Falcons scrum-half Micky Young pounced to score the softest of tries with Gopperth landing an outrageous conversion.

As the tension boiled to a crescendo, Hodgson struck back with another nerveless penalty before, with nine minutes left, Sale dramatically got their noses in front for the first time. Kristian Ormsby, who was again immense, used his bulk and strength to crash over the line despite three would-be tacklers.

A point to the good, eight minutes left – job done. We should have known better. Another infringement – this time a high tackle of all things – handed Gopperth yet another penalty out on the left and he never remotely looked like missing as he took his personal points tally for the night to 27.

But the biggest drama was yet to come. Sale’s weary pack horses saddled up for one last sortie and slowly but steadily built up the platform for a Hodgson drop goal in front of the posts with 20 seconds on the clock.

It should have been regulation stuff but instead Hodgson’s nervy effort squirmed wide.

As events elsewhere transpired, it meant time had not run out on Sale.

But Kennedy, for one, has already promised action. "If we do nothing, nothing will change," he warned.

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