Sale earn win over Falcons as both sides progress
Sale Sharks snatched a late victory to end Newcastle Falcons' 100% record in the pool stage
- Published
Premiership Rugby Cup
Sale (14) 19
Tries: McElroy, Rodd, Bamber Cons: Curtis 2
Newcastle (14) 17
Tries: Stuart, Stevenson Cons: Connon 2 Pens: Connon
A last-minute try from Ben Bamber snatched a win for Sale Sharks against Newcastle Falcons as both sides progressed to the quarter-finals of the Premiership Rugby Cup.
The hosts twice took the lead in the first half as tries from Tadgh McElroy and Bevan Rodd were replied to swiftly by Sam Stuart and Ben Stevenson as the teams went in level 14-14 at half-time.
The first points of a stodgy second period came from a Brett Connon penalty in the 65th minute to put Newcastle ahead for the first time.
But a period of late pressure resulted in Newcastle's Cam Neild being yellow-carded before Bamber crashed over for the decisive score.
Newcastle's late defeat ended their 100% record in the pool stage but they gained the minimum one point required, courtesy of a losing bonus point, to finish as top seed in the quarter-finals, ensuring a home draw.
Sale were heading out of the competition until Bamber's intervention but make it through as runners-up to the Falcons in Pool A, taking the final quarter-final spot away from Leicester Tigers.
Sharks took the lead in the tenth minute when a penalty was kicked into the corner and the subsequent lineout drive was too much for Newcastle to handle as hooker McElroy crashed over and Tom Curtis added the conversion to make it 7-0.
Falcons levelled things up four minutes later when Stuart finished off a fine move in the corner and Connon kicked the extras.
The hosts chose to reinforce their scrum after only 30 minutes, introducing England international props Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour for Ross Harrison and Patreece Bell.
Seven-time capped Rodd made an immediate impact, taking a quick-tap penalty from five metres out and bursting through the Falcons defence.
But again the lead didn't last long as five minutes before half-time winger Stevenson raced in down the left and Connon levelled it up at 14-14 at the break.
The visitors applied the pressure early in the second half and after a series of penalties number eight Jean-Luc du Preez was yellow carded in the 50th minute but Falcons could not take advantage of the extra man in a scrappy second half.
Connon's penalty 15 minutes from time looked to have won it for Newcastle but the sin-binning of ex-Sale player Neild, making his Falcons debut after a long-term injury, proved costly as Sale drove over with the final play of the match.
Quarter-final line-up
28 February:
Newcastle v Gloucester (19:45 GMT kick-off)
Bath v Harlequins (19:45)
1 March:
Exeter v Sale (15:00)
Northampton v Ealing Trailfinders (15:00)
Sale: Davies; Reed, Nayacalevu, Bedlow, Wills; Curtis, Thomas; Harrison, McElroy, Bell, Bamber, Hill, Burrow, Dugdale, du Preez.
Replacements: Longstaff, Opoku-Fordjour, Andrews, du Preez, Hanson, Addison, Carpenter, Rodd, Birch.
Sin bin: du Preez (50 mins)
Newcastle: Obatoyinbo; Greenwood, Hearle, Clark, Stevenson; Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, McCallum, van der Walt, McDonald, Lockwood, Leatherbarrow, Chick.
Replacements: Fletcher, Rewcastle, Palframan, Hawkins, Neild, Davies, Wilkinson, Spencer.
Sin bin: Neild (79 mins)
Referee: Jack Makepeace