Rugby Union: Newcastle grab Sale bargain

Newcastle 30 Sale 15

THIS SEASON Newcastle have only fleetingly revealed the form that took them to the title. But they produced enough of it in patches, against a diffident Sale side, to hoist themselves a couple of places up the table in a match which promised much but, which became terribly disjointed in the second half until Garath Archer sealed victory with Newcastle's fifth try.

This was the first of four games for Newcastle against teams from the bottom five within the next two weeks. Moreover, with a match in hand over some of their challengers, if Newcastle were to pick up the maximum eight points, they will need no reminding that the outcome of the title race is far from a foregone conclusion. And with Sale being the most likely to interrupt those ambitions, the two points they picked up against the Manchester side was a handy start.

On a crisp, dry afternoon, the game got off to a cracking start. What distinguishes Newcastle from most teams in the Premiership is that they invariably make the most of advantageous field positions; especially at Kingston Park, where they have not tasted defeat in the league for almost three years. Within two minutes Newcastle had established a foothold deep in Sale territory. From the line-out, Doddie Weir popped the ball to Pete Walton, and Gary Armstrong burrowed over for a trademark try.

Sale's response was immediate and telling. Peter Anglesea was allowed too much time on the ball, Richard Smith and Shane Howarth took it on, and Steve Haney completed the move for a superb try. While this was a sharp reminder of Sale's ability to score tries from all parts of the field, it was not until Shane Howarth scored a delightful individual try in the third quarter that Sale offered any real threat.

If only they could add some substance to their style, and find a way of winning more often away from Heywood Road, they would be in the top half of the table.

However, if Jonny Wilkinson and Rob Andrew had not missed four conversions, defeat would have been more emphatic and a try count of five to two tells its own story. Stuart Legg bagged two, and Martin Shaw another, before the break. Thereafter, only Howarth and Archer took the eye, as Peter Anglesea, Kevin Ellis and Ross Nesdale were sent to the sin-bin.

Newcastle: Tries Armstrong, Legg 2, Shaw, Archer; Conversion Wilkinson; Penalty Wilkinson. Sale: Tries Howarth, Hanley. Conversion Howarth; Penalty Howarth.

Newcastle: S Legg; J Naylor, M Shaw, J Wilkinson, V Tuigamala; R Andrew (capt), G Armstrong; G Graham, R Nesdale, M Hurter, D Weir G Archer, P Walton, J Cartmell (R Horton, 67), R Beattie.

Sale: J Mallinder (capt); M Moore, B-J Mather, C Yates, S Hanley; S Howarth, R Smith (K Ellis, 67); P Winstanley, P Greening, D Bell, S Raiwalui, D Baldwin, P Anglesea, P Sanderson (A Sanderson, 73), J Machacek.

Referee: R Dickson (Scotland).