Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond was not too downhearted by his side’s first LV Cup 27-20 loss due to a late Bath try at the weekend.
Sale fought back to tie the scores with only a couple of minutes remaining before Bath’s Dave Attwood stole the ball and broke the hosts’ hearts with a swan dive.
Bath first-team coach Toby Booth added that he couldn’t believe the way the match ended, though Diamond was reluctant to criticise his side.
“I am not too disappointed about that really. We didn’t play very well that is the disappointing thing and we didn’t win at home,” he said.
“There will be no bricks out of the pram about the decision, they gave it a crack and it did not come off. Fair play to Bath they capitalised on it.
“We just did not put things together as smartly as we thought we could have done. We trained well in the week but it did not come to fruition tonight.”
Diamond admitted it was concerning that Sale have now lost two matches in a row at home but praised some of the youngsters he picked.
They included full-back Mike Hayley, even if he gave up the ball for Bath’s crucial try at the end.
“Mike Hayley played well throughout the game and scored a try, an opportunist’s try and then got stripped at the end but it is a learning curve,” said Diamond.
“I am pleased with a couple of the young lads that came out but on the night Bath were better than us.”
Hayley will be in contention again when Sharks face Harlequins next weekend with Diamond poised to select a similar squad for the clash at the Stoop.
“We will go through the game, look at things to work on and then if I do, hopefully, get selected, then look to progress and try to get a win away from home at Harlequins,” Hayley told the club website.
Image courtesy of Sale Sharks via YouTube, with thanks.
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