Sale 7 Ospreys 18: Rolland lets Sale and Ospreys fight to a finish

This was a ready, steady, go match at Edgeley Park, with both teams requiring at least a bonus point victory to have any hope of reaching the Heineken Cup quarter-finals. Neither made it.

The Ospreys were ready, Sale were steady, and the Irish referee, Alain Rolland, had very little idea where to go or how to get there. Rolland has a reputation for adjudicating in international matches, most of which are played in daylight. On Saturday evening in Stockport it was very dark. The Ospreys knew it would be and went about their unsavoury business in a way which did the game precious little credit.

Taking most of their play from a penal colony and some of it from the torture chamber, the Welsh side incensed a record crowd already stung by Rolland's attitude. The Ospreys were continually offside; they were lying on the ball; they were interfering illegally with play; one lost count of the number of deliberate obstructions against Sale. In my opinion, Rolland ought to be ashamed of his performance in such an important match. If the Heineken Cup authorities nominate him for another fixture, they too must be called to book.

Still, after only two away victories in four years of participation in the Heineken Cup, the Ospreys - with 13 capped internationals, plus four on the bench - deserved to win. They were up against a Guinness Premiership side without 10 of their best men, including Charlie Hodgson, Jason Robinson and Scotland's captain, Jason White.

The Welsh team were 15 points up in as many minutes. The flanker Steve Tandy scored the first try, ploughing through what remained of the defence after supporting the lock Brent Cockbain. The full-back Stefan Terblanche collected the second try when he intercepted a Sale midfield charge to score at the other end. James Hook, starting at fly-half, converted the second try and then kicked a penalty.

Sale's lock Dean Schofield and the Ospreys flanker Andrew Lloyd were sent to the sin-bin for a minor scrap on the touchline, before Tandy refused to release the ball while lying on Sale's side and the Sale No 8 and captain, Sébastien Chabal, used his boot in anger. Chabal was sent to the sin-bin in yet another extraordinary decision by Rolland.

After Hook received a yellow card for going offside in front of his posts, the Sale flanker Juan Fernandez Lobbe strolled over for a try which Daniel Larrechea converted. Apart from some gruelling defence, there remained only an injury to the Ospreys flanker Mike Powell, who lay motionless while play continued for a six minutes. The Ospreys' faithful were shouting at the touch judge, who did nothing. Neither did Mr Rolland.

Sale: Try Fernandez Lobbe; Conversion Larrechea. Ospreys: Tries Tandy, Terblanche; Conversion Hook; Penalties Hook, Henson.

Sale: D Larrechea (C Bell, 68); O Ripol, C Mayor, M Taylor, S Hanley; R Wigglesworth, B Foden; L Fauré (E Roberts, 29), S Bruno (A Titterrell, 63), S Turner (B Stewart, 64), C Jones, D Schofield (C Day, 61), J Fernandez Lobbe, M Lund, S Chabal (capt; M Hills, 77).

Ospreys: S Terblanche; S Williams (T Selley, 56), A Bishop, G Henson, N Walker; J Hook, J Marshall; D Jones (capt), B Williams (H Bennett, 70), A Jones (P James, 70), B Cockbain, A Wyn Jones, A Lloyd (M Powell, 53; J Spice, 78), S Tandy (R Pugh, 63), R Jones.

Referee: A Rolland (Ireland).