Tries: Taylor 6, Quirke 13, Reed 32, Bradshaw 77
Conversions: R du Preez 7, 14, 33; Curtis 78
Newcastle……..31pts
Tries: Cross 30, Blamire 39, Lockwood 49, Jennings 60
Conversions: Connon 31, 40, 50, J Thomas 61
Penalties: J Thomas 69
STEVE Diamond's impact at Newcastle looks to be in full swing as the new Falcons chief got off to a winning start in a lively Northern derby on Friday night.
The north-east side looked hugely rejuvenated, and scored four tries in an impressive display to come from behind at half-time to get their first win on English soil in 152 days.
Diamond said: “This is important, both for motivation and looking ahead as we look at contracts. Everyone is putting their hand up, the endeavour was excellent, the skill level is getting there, but we've got a lot more to do.
“It was more a training session than a game. Alex and I agreed to play 30 players so we could all get the run out we need.”
Dubbed ‘the Diamond derby' in the build-up, with Diamond returning to his old stomping ground, it was his former stable who dominated early on. Under an icy wind, it took Sharks six minutes to utilise their forwards physicality. A lineout in Newcastle's 22 led to hooker Tommy Taylor guiding a driving maul over the try line.
Sharks wing Tom O'Flaherty slipped through a fractured Falcons line on the outside channel and No.9 Raffi Quirke ran in the recycled ball on the right.
Sale fell on the wrong side of the referee, giving away seven straight penalties, with openside Sam Dugdale sin-binned for killing the ball at a ruck. Falcons were camped on Sale's five-metre line but suffered white-line fever until No.9 Sam Stuart's grubber kick found Sam Cross, the Welshman showing great handling to collect and score on the left. Sale responded instantly, lock Josh Beaumont setting up wing Arron Reed to slide over by the right post.
On the cusp of halftime, Sale No.8 Will Riley was sin-binned for a high tackle on Stuart before Newcastle hooker Jamie Blamire muscled over from close-range. Blindside Freddie Lockwood's impressive leg-drive in contact powered him over on the 49th minute, and Newcastle took the lead when centre Rory Jennings' deft footwork saw him dive over. Newcastle's Josh Barton saw yellow for offside at a defensive ruck but their momentum continued – George Wacokecoke going close after breaking from his own half, and Josh Thomas made it a 10-point gap from the tee. Sharks wing Albert Bradshaw's dashed over for a late consolation try.
Sale coach Alex Sanderson said: “We got the lads blooded, we got the ball in our hands, we gave away 31 points and probably 30 penalties. What we saw was not acceptable, and we've got some obvious learns there.”
TEAMS
SALE: Carpenter, O'Flaherty, S James, Ma'asi-White, Reed, R du Preez, Quirke; Harrison, Taylor, Schonert, Bamber, Beaumont, Neild, Dugdale, Riley
Replacements: Creevy, McEachran, Aigbokhae, Raymont, Harper, Burrow, Booth, Woodman, N Thomas, Curtis, Roberts, Ene, Veainu, Bradshaw
NEWCASTLE: Obatoyinbo, Radwan, Moroni, Orlando, Stevenson, Connon, Stuart; Brocklebank, Blamire, Bello, van der Walt, De Chaves, Lockwood, Cross, Chick (c)
Replacements: Byrne, McCallum, Palframan, Kelly, Hawkins, Bainbridge, Pepper, Leatherbarrow, Barton, Thomas, Johnson, Stephens, Wacokecoke, Kerr, Jennings, Penny, Brown
REFEREE: Hamish Smales
ATTENDANCE: 2,213
Star man: Freddie Lockwood – Newcastle
