Gloucester end Sale Sharks run at home

Gloucester beat Sale Sharks 11-12 to give them their first Aviva Premiership loss at their home venue the AJ Bell Stadium this season.

Gloucester’s victory is also a blow for Sale Sharks hopes of finishing in the Premiership’s top six teams.

Sale Sharks scored on the only try of the match but Greig Laidlaw’s four penalties proved to be enough in Danny Cipriani’s last home match for Sale.

Sale went into this game knowing a win would keep their hopes of a Champions Cup place alive.

But, it was Gloucester who opened the scoring from the ever reliable boot of Laidlaw, who started at fly-half for the Cherry and Whites in the absence of James Hook. On his final home game in front of the Sale fans, Cipriani opened his account for the evening from the tee.

The battle of the boot in the first half continued with Laidlaw re-establishing Gloucester’s three point lead on the half hour mark. However, with the last kick of the first half, Cipriani levelled the scores with another penalty of his own taking the score to 6-6 as the players headed into the changing rooms.

After a scoreless 15 minutes, Sale scored the first try of the game on 55 minutes through Leota after 16 phases of play from the home side. A third penalty from Laidlaw reduced Sale’s lead to ten points as the game entered the final ten minutes.

With 3 minutes to go, Laidlaw kicked is fourth penalty to give Gloucester a 12-11 lead. Sale piled on the pressure in the closing moments but failed to break the visitors’ defence.

The win means Gloucester join Montpellier as the only other side to come away from the AJ Bell Stadium with a win this season.

Final Score Sale Sharks 11 (6) Gloucester 12 (6)

Scorers

Sale Sharks
Tries – Leota
Pen – Cipriani 2
Con –
Drop –

Gloucester
Tries –
Pen – Laidlaw 4
Con –
Drop –

Match Officials
Referee :Tom Foley (19th Premiership game).
Assistant Referees: Ross Campbell & Simon McConnell.
TMO: Stuart Terheege.

Teams

Sale Sharks

15. Mike Haley, 14. Will Addison, 13. Sam James, 12. Johnny Leota, 11. Nev Edwards, 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Peter Stringer, 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Tommy Taylor, 3. Vadim Cobilas, 4. Bryn Evans, 5. Andrei Ostrikov, 6. Cameron Neild, 7. David Seymour (c), 8. TJ Ioane

Replacements: 16. Neil Briggs, 17. Eifion Lewis-Roberts, 18. Brian Mujati, 19. Jonathan Mills, 20. Mark Easter, 21. James Mitchell, 22. Joe Ford, 23. Mark Jennings

Gloucester Rugby:

15. Tom Marshall; 14. Rob Cook, 13. Henry Trinder, 12. Billy Twelvetrees, 11. Ollie Thorley; 10. Greig Laidlaw (capt), 9. Willi Heinz; 1. Yann Thomas, 2. Richard Hibbard, Paul Doran-Jones; 4. Tom Savage, 5. Jeremy Thrush; 6. Ross Moriarty, 7. Matt Kvesic, 8. Sione Kalamafoni

Replacements:16. Luke Cole, 17. Nick Wood, 18. John Afoa, 19. Ben Morgan, 20. Gareth Evans, 21. Callum Braley, 22. Mark Atkinson, 23. Lewis Ludlow