Sale 25 Bath 23: Robinson conjures up a finish to remember

Jason Robinson scored one of the most dramatic tries of his career last night to ensure his last game for Sale ended in success. Robinson dived over in the final moments to snatch victory from Bath's grasp.

A Sale victory, however, had looked unlikely in the first half. It had been all Bath from the start; they had the ball until Robinson found a touch in the Bath half of the field.

But a turnover and Bath's possession of the ball led to nothing except Sebastien Chabal's big-hit tackle on Shaun Berne. Olly Barkley's penalty signalled the end of the opening exchanges.

Chabal took an earnest run at Bath for Juan Manuel Fernandez-Lobbe's try converted by Lee Thomas. Chris Mayor had a hand in the try, though Lobbe juggled with the ball before touching down. What a try.

A massive Sharks scrum kept Bath under pressure, though eventually it was Barkley who cleared. Sale were improving and when Nick Walshe got the wrong side of a scrum and was spotted interfering with play, Thomas took the score to 10-3 with a penalty.

Matt Stevens was guilty of a minor indiscretion and Thomas scored with another penalty. Were Sale going to run away with the game? Not if Barkley had his way, as his second penalty showed. His third, just before half-time, made it 13-9 at the break.

Michael Lipman's departure led to a penalty in the corner. Danny Grewcock won the line-out and Nick Walshe scrambled over for the try which Barkley converted as Bath regained the lead. Sale were in need of something special. When it came David Barnes ran away for a superb try. A Barkley conversion made it 23-13.

Back came Sale. They were camped in Bath's 22. Two penalties, both of which were aimed at line-outs, almost failed, but with the sin-binning of Leloiga Fuimaono-Sapolu, Robinson put Selorm Kuadey across. Thomas converted, so Sale were now only three points adrift.

Barkley had a chance to make it safe with another penalty but the ball came back off an upright, so Sale breathed again. Then came Robinson's sensational ending.

Robinson, without a try in the Guinness Premiership this season, rounded off this breathtaking match when he burst onto the ball 30 metres out and tore past the Bath defence in the dying seconds. His conversion failed as the whistle blew.

Sale: Tries Lobbe, Kuadey, Robinson; Conversions Thomas (2); Penalties Thomas (2). Bath: Tries Walshe, Barnes. Conversions Barkley (2). Penalties Barkley (3).

Sale: J Robinson (captain); C Mayor (Wigglesworth 35min), E Seveali'i, C Bell, S Kuadey; R Thomas, B Foden; E Roberts (Turner, 27), S Bruno (Titterell, 66), B Stewart, C Jones (Wigglesworth 53), D Schofield, J M Fernandez-Lobbe, M Lund, S Chabal (Day, 73).

Bath: N Abendanon (Fuimaono-Sapolu, 29); M Stephenson, C Walker, O Barkley, T Cheeseman; S Berne, N Walshe (Williams, 70); D Barnes, L Mears (Dixon, 66), M Stevens, S Borthwick (captain), D Grewcock (Louw, 73), A Beattie, M Lipman (Scaysbrook, 42), J Faamatuainu (Short, 48).

Referee: W Barnes (Twickenham).

* Jonny Wilkinson and Mike Tindall could miss England's tour to South Africa after picking up injuries in last night's Guinness Premiership match between Newcastle and Gloucester. Tindall was carried off with a leg injury after a second-half collision with England centre Toby Flood and Wilkinson went off with what looked to be a rib injury after 55 minutes. Newcastle won the match 19-12.