PARTICULARLY given Jonny Wilkinson’s latest injury, England’s management can at least revel in Charlie Hodgson’s rich early season form.
On a diet of scraps from a soundly beaten pack, Carlos Spencer, Northampton’s mercurial former All Black, was no match for Hodgson’s prolific boot and crisp direction in steering Sale Sharks to a first victory in their title defence.
Paul Grayson, the Northampton coach, said: “Charlie has that ability to make the game look simple. He plots his way through a game and kicked brilliantly off the deck.” Hodgson’s 22-point haul was accumulated with a surgeon’s precision, not least his two first-half dropped goals that acted as a knife to Northampton’s heart, for all that they recovered sufficiently to outscore Sale by three tries to two. That said more about the champions’ lack of defensive shape; Oriol Ripol will need no reminding of his risible attempt to prevent Paul Tupai from plundering Northampton’s second try.
Philippe Saint Andre’s sullen expression afterwards reflected the overall performance and the Sale director of rugby is calling for an improvement against Worcester on Friday, although Hodgson, and Chris Jones and Sébastien Bruno up front, would be hard pushed to better their contributions.
A viral infection sweeping the camp, which accounted for Ben Cohen beforehand and Steve Thompson and Mark Robinson during the match, did not blunt Northampton’s competitiveness and Sean Lamont from claiming a brace of tries in response to scores by Mark Cueto and Magnus Lund.
Advertisement
SCORERS: Sale Sharks: Tries: Cueto (25min), Lund (53). Conversions: Hodgson 2. Penalty goals: Hodgson 4 (9, 20. 38, 68). Dropped goals: Hodgson 2 (34, 40+3). Northampton: Tries: Lamont 2 (40+6, 79), Tupai (45). Conversion: Reihana. Penalty goal: Reihana (23).
SCORING SEQUENCE (Sale first): 3-0, 6-0, 6-13, 13-3, 16-3, 19-3, 22-3, 22-10 (half-time), 22-15, 29-15, 32-12, 32-20.
SALE SHARKS: J Robinson; M Cueto, C Mayor (rep: M Taylor, 60), C Bell, O Ripol; C Hodgson, R Wigglesworth (rep: B Foden, 75); A Sheridan (rep: B Stewart, 41), S Bruno (rep: P Gaona, 70), B Evans (rep: Sheridan, 51), C Jones (rep: D Tait, 75), J White, J M Fernandez Lobbe, M Lund (sin-bin, 59-69), S Chabal (rep: C Day, 60).
NORTHAMPTON: R Kydd; S Lamont, B Reihana, D Quinlan, P Diggin; C Spencer, M Robinson (rep: I Vass, 73); T Smith, S Thompson (rep: R Richmond, 32), P Barnard (rep: C Budgen, 77), Damien Browne (rep: M Lord, 57), C Short, P Tupai (sin-bin, 20-30), D Fox (rep: B Lewitt, 70), Daniel Browne (rep: M Easter, 70).
Referee: D Rose.
Advertisement
Attendance: 9,418.