Sale Sharks’ hopes of progressing to the knockout stages in the European Rugby Champions Cup were ended by a narrow defeat at home to Saracens.
Despite winning three league games in a row going into Saturday’s match, Sale were unable carry their good form into Europe losing 19-15 courtesy of tries from Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola.
It is the second time Sharks have lost by less than a try in Pool One and director of rugby Steve Diamond admitted his side needed to start turning performances into points.
He said: “We’re not pleased in not winning a game we could have won. It’s difficult to be pleased with a performance like that in the ‘Group of Death’ as it’s called.
“We could have won in the last five minutes and we probably lacked a bit of composure.
“We were hammering at their line, getting penalty after penalty and probably in the Premiership they would have got a yellow card, but it wasn’t to be.
“We can put up a good show but being close isn’t good enough and we should have won the game.”
Sale old boy Charlie Hodgson drew first blood for the away side with a penalty before Magnus Lund crossed for the Salford club, Farrell and Vunipola then scored to give Saracens a six-point lead going into the final twenty minutes.
Andrei Ostrikov’s try brought the home side to within one point, but replacement fly-half Nick Macleod missed the crucial conversion and Farrell’s drop goal restored some breathing space for Saracens.
Although they fell short again Diamond urged his team not to let up in intensity when they play out their remaining group games.
“We worked our backsides off last year to get into the competition so you have to go out and give it a shot in all of those games you can’t put a weakened side out.
“You can’t not have the motivation, that’s what the players play rugby for and that’s what they get paid for.
“This competition is fantastic and were proud of the performance but we’re just frustrated and gutted we didn’t get the win.”
Sale travel to North London next week for the reverse fixture against Saracens, before resuming their Premiership campaign against Exeter Chiefs.
Main image courtesy of Sale Sharks via YouTube, with thanks.
