Chiefs cut down as Sale get into groove

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER

Sale Sharks……28pts

Tries: B Curry 36, van der Merwe 46, Carpenter 68

Conversions: R du Preez 37, 47

Penalties: R du Preez 24, 62, 75

Exeter …………….20pts

Tries: Cowan-Dickie 12, S Maunder 50

Conversions: Slade 13, 51

Penalties: Slade 30, 72

SALE Sharks, slow starters last season, made it three wins out of three in this new campaign. Whisper it quietly but they are going to be much stronger contenders this time around.

Exeter arrived unbeaten after three games and although they went pretty well, despite a rash of unsettling injuries, they ultimately lacked the cutting edge to convert pressure into points.

Stuart Hogg endured a rare scrappy game at full back which was in stark contrast to opposite number Joe Carpenter who capped a MOM performance with a second half try.

The youngster from Leeds is one of the many talented tyros at Sale and if the name is not as familiar as some that’s because he spent most of last season injured and struggling for game time. He is a quality though, note down the name for future reference.

Having got out of gaol at the death against Quins last week, Exeter made a confident start and dominated the early proceedings without ever quite translating that into a significant numerical superiority.

Three first half injuries – to Daffyd Jenkins, Jack Dunne and Stu Townsend – didn’t help their cause but they will still be disappointed to have turned around on level terms at 10-10

Luke Cowan-Dickie had got them off to a try scoring start on 12 minutes after a lineout rumble following a trademark penalty touch fined to the corner from Henry Slade. Nobody does it better.

Mind you, Cowan-Dickie was possibly lucky to be on the pitch at the time, officialdom missing one of his no arms tackles a minute earlier which warranted a second look and probably a yellow.

No matter. Slade converted and after Rob du Preez kicked a Sale penalty the visitors enjoyed another period of pressure which only garnered a Slade penalty.

Take that: Joe Carpenter crashes over to score for Sale

PICTURES: Getty Images

As half-time approach Sale finally started to hit their stride and they finished strongly when Ben Curry forced his way over from a lineout five metres out. Du Preez added the conversion but could only hit the post with a relatively simple penalty shot on the stroke of half-time.

If the first half had been a little one paced, the action after the break was much more dynamic. Sale pressed from the off and were soon rewarded when Akker Van Der Merwe bat- tered his way over from a lineout for a converted try but, just when you thought Sale might pull ahead, Exeter hit back. This time there was a try for Sam Maunder after a big right hand step from the excellent Woodman caused a parting of the seas.

All to play for but increasingly it was Sale winning the arm wrestle up front and scrap for possession at the breakdown.

Robert du Preez gave them the lead again with a short range penalty and then Sale went off in search of a decisive score. They poured the pressure on and eventually Gus Warr – who had made a nervous start but improved impressively as the game developed – fired out a 30 yard spin pass to the left for Carpenter to sprint over.

They weren’t quite home and hosed, Exeter attacked one more time, Slade slotted a penalty but a final penalty from Du Preez delivered a deserved victory.

Exeter coach Ali Hepher said: “Credit to Sale. They had a plan, they stuck to it and they put us under pressure. It was a bit frustrating because we made opportunities and put the ball down a few times.”

On the run: Olly Woodburn in action for Exeter