After Sale Sharks forced league leaders Saracens to come from behind to snatch a late 24-19 win on Saturday, director of rugby Steve Diamond said the belief was nearly there in his mid-table side.
Danny Cipriani put in another stand-out performance and became the first Sharks player since 2006 to score a try, conversion, drop goal and penalty in the same game for the club.
The last man to do so was Charlie Hodgson who just happened to be starting opposite Cipriani at Allianz Park at the weekend.
Despite coming so close to snatching an unlikely win, Diamond was philosophical in defeat.
“We played well but we did not exit very well when we were under pressure and, if we did, I think we would have won the game,” he told reporters.
“We’re a bit disappointed really. There is no point whinging about it we got a bonus point we have got six points out of two games which if somebody said that two weeks ago then we would have been happy with it so we move on.
“I think Saracens know they have been in a game.”
Sale face a quick turnaround as European rugby returns this week with the Sharks travelling to France to face Oyonnax in the shadow of the Jura Mountains on Thursday evening.
Diamond said if Saturday’s performance away from home was anything to go by, the French would face a stiff test.
“It is the mark of a good team that you get a bonus point when you lose certainly away from home against the top of the league. The confidence levels are high and it is just a case of getting the lads to believe that they are a good team.”
Oyonnax lie bottom of Pool 1 while Sale top the group with a perfect record as they head into back-to-back fixtures with the strugglers.
Image courtesy of ESPN scrum, with thanks.SO CLOSE:
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
