‘Cohesion’ has become a buzzword in rugby and there’s no doubt which team has displayed the ‘C’ word the most here. Despite losing prop Nick Schonert to a red card in the seventh minute, Sale dominated on a brilliant late summer day in the South West. The Sharks’ impressive approach, executed with great power and precision, dashed Johan van Graan’s hopes of victory during his Premiership stint as head coach at the Recreation Ground.
Van Graan’s side started their league campaign with a narrow defeat to Bristol last week, but that, considering they had an extra man for 73 minutes, was far more discouraging. Another season of frustration lies ahead unless the former Munster manager can galvanize his players and turn them, collectively, into something lasting. The news that England defender Sam Underhill needs surgery for a shoulder problem and will be out for 12 weeks won’t help much.
On the other hand, Sale looks to a side ready to fight for the top honours: it was an eye-catching afternoon for Tom O’Flaherty, one of their summer signings from Exeter, while the addition of Second-row Jonny Hill also seems a natural fit. . Opener Rob du Preez was metronomic and flawless off the tee with 15 points while Manu Tuilagi looked fit, motivated and at his destroying best. When he recovers from injury, George Ford’s vision and game management will be a major asset.
“It’s quite simple – we have to be better,” said Van Graan. “There is absolutely no apology from me. You will have no excuses all season long. I learned a lot from the individuals today, and I learned a lot from the team today. This is only the second game we have had moments. But not good enough.
Even at 15, briefly, it had looked pretty tough on Bath. The Sharks’ attacking machine clicked immediately when Akker van der Merwe kicked the first lineout to No 8 Dan du Preez. By exerting that familiar crushing power in collisions, Sale engineered the opportunity for O’Flaherty to point down.
Three minutes later came the incident that arguably defined the game, albeit unexpectedly. Bath were awarded a penalty but a Schonert right tackle on Dave Attwood caught the attention of TMO. The referee, Christophe Ridley, took his time to decide that there was no mitigation for Schonert. Red card.
Lesser teams would have withered, but Sale is made of solid stuff. A few penalties from Piers Francis put Bath on the board, but Sale Van der Merwe’s hooker quickly bundled up, bouncing off several potential tacklers along the way. Ben Spencer, the home captain and scrum-half, left after taking a jab to the head and a forward from first-rower Lewis Boyce illustrated Bath’s ineffective attempts to publicize their power play.
Shortly after halftime, Josh Bayliss and Cameron Redpath combined to create an overlap allowing Joe Cokanasiga to accelerate unchallenged into the corner. It woke up the home crowd, and it momentarily looked like an emotional fightback might be on the cards. Only momentarily. England backline Tom Curry came off the bench to complete an excellent Sharks move, Tuilagi feeding O’Flaherty, who unloaded inside for the England backline to dive.
Sustained pressure from Bath in Sale’s 22 led to several scrimmage penalties and culminated in a yellow card for Ross Harrison. But Tom Curry’s world-class jackal work eventually won a penalty, and Bath walked away with nothing.
Tom De Glanville galloped for Bath’s second try with eight minutes to go, and when Francis cracked on the conversion Sale’s lead was reduced to 10. Again, however, it was Sale who turned the opinion. Substitute Jono Ross was hustled for the test which sealed a very satisfying bonus point on the road.
Alex Sanderson was suitably satisfied. “Unity, courage,” he said of Sale’s performance. “You know what you have to do [after a red card]. Your back is against the wall. There is nowhere to go.
Sale can be excited about the campaign, but Bath is desperate to keep busy. “We will get there,” Van Graan said. “It’s obvious, but it’s going to take time.”