Ford boots Sale to opening-game win over Harlequins
George Ford kicked all of Sale's points in a hard-fought contest
- Published
Gallagher Premiership
Sale (9) 12
Pens: Ford 4
Harlequins (8) 11
Tries: Walker Pens: Halfpenny 2
Sale Sharks edged Harlequins 12-11 in an attritional contest at the Salford Community Stadium to open their Premiership campaign with a victory.
Jack Walker crossed for Quins and Leigh Halfpenny slotted a penalty on his Premiership debut, but three George Ford kicks gave Sale a slim 9-8 lead at the break.
Quins were denied a second try by the television match official (TMO), but chances remained rare with handling errors and ill-discipline costing both sides in tricky, wet conditions.
Halfpenny, playing his first-ever Premiership match, kicked Quins in front from long range, but Ford's fourth penalty with six minutes left sneaked the win.
Last season’s play-off semi-finalists have now won their opening Premiership fixture in five successive seasons and lost just one home league match since October 2022, but Harlequins came within moments of ending those proud runs.
An afternoon for the purists
Harlequins hooker Jack Walker goes over for the game's only try
Fast-starting Quins were soon into the hosts' 22 but spurned a good scoring chance by knocking-on close to the line - the first of several costly handling errors in good positions.
Sale were given an early scare when Tom Curry was helped off the field seven minutes into his first home game in almost a year following injury, but the England flanker soon returned to play the rest of the half.
The Quins pack lost just six of their own scrums last season, but Sale pressure forced them to concede a 17th-minute penalty against the head and Ford booted the hosts in front.
The England fly-half extended the lead from the tee, but Harlequins continued to cause problems and deservedly claimed the first try, five minutes before the break, when Walker was driven over.
Halfpenny’s first contribution was to send the conversion well off target, but the former Wales full-back soon made amends by kicking Quins in front after Bevan Rodd went off his feet at a ruck.
Yet Quins coughed up a penalty straight from the restart and Ford’s third penalty, right on half-time, sneaked them back in front.
Leigh Halfpenny kicked six points in the first Premiership match of his 17-year professional career
Harlequins thought they had a second try when another driving maul crashed over the line, but a lengthy review by the TMO ruled it had been held up.
The visitors brought on Marcus Smith in the 49th minute, but it was his rival for the England number-10 role, Ford, who almost made the next big impact when his crossfield kick just evaded Tom Roebuck’s dive.
Jean-Luc du Preez’s rare line break ended in another turnover as the Sharks struggled to turn good positions into points.
Quins introduced Danny Care on the hour for his 283rd Premiership appearance, but it was the forwards who continued to hold sway.
Halfpenny looked to have won it with nine minutes left when he landed the first points of the half with a brilliant penalty into the wind from halfway.
But, after missing a drop goal, Ford kept his nerve moments later to nail his fourth penalty and leave the visitors with just a losing bonus point.
Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson:
"It wasn't enthralling but it was a gritty, hard-fought win – a win being the operative word.
"We know we have to be better if we're going to compete at the end of the season but I think both teams could say that.
"We both had opportunities in the 22 and we both had half-breaks which we didn’t convert.
"I reckon a score either side would have opened the game up, but it ended up being a bit of a slugfest and stalemate in the middle of the park."
Harlequins head coach Danny Wilson:
"I thought we had scored from Jack Kenningham's touchdown and that went against us.
"It was not to be and I knew that decision was going to be massive in a game where there weren't many chances.
"Ultimately we lost the game, but I was really pleased with how physical we were defensively.
"I thought we knocked them back and won the physical battle - a very tough place to come and do that."
Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Nayacalevu, R du Preez, O'Flaherty; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Andrews, T Curry, B Curry, JL du Preez.
Replacements: Caine, Onasanya, Harper, Beaumont, Bamber, Dugdale, Thomas, Addison.
Harlequins: Halfpenny; David, Northmore, Anyanwu, Beard; J Evans, Porter; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Herbst, Lewies, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt.
Replacements: Jibulu, Els, Kerrod, Launchbury, Lamb, Care, Smith, Cleaves.
Referee: A. Leal.