mens
Gallagher-Prime Minister
Sale Sharks player ratings: Sale left the Rec with a loss of bonus points, but in the end they had to pay for a damaging first hour as Bath achieved a victory over Gallagher PREM with a score of 36-28.
The Sharks produced plenty of individual threats, particularly through Christ Tshiunza and Tom Curry, and their scrum caused Bath persistent problems. But their defense was open too easily on several occasions, while handling errors and turnovers repeatedly undermined promising attacking positions. Late tries from Luke Cowan-Dickie and Elia Canakaivata gave the result a more respectable look and ensured Sale did not leave empty-handed.
15 Joe Carpenter – 5
He had a tough opening quarter, spilling O’Flaherty’s pass wide after the winger opened Bath up from deep and left a promising chance behind. He redeemed himself somewhat with an important penalty for breaking through de Glanville before half-time, but four turnovers proved costly.
14 Tom Roebuck – 6
He didn’t have many headline moments, but still found ways to threaten, producing two line breaks from seven performances. Finished four tackles and missed one in a game where Sale’s back three were repeatedly stretched by Bath’s shot and width.
13 Joe Marchant – 6
He made some positive moves, beating three defenders in six attempts, and finishing all six of his attempts. He didn’t receive enough quality balls to really impose himself in attack, but he was one of Sale’s cleaner players in midfield.
12 Alex Lozowski – 4
Tough afternoon in defence. He missed three tackles and was unable to sufficiently close down the spaces that Bath repeatedly found through the middle of the field. He carried just three times and created four equalizers before being replaced by Ma’asi-White after 58 minutes.
11 Tom O’Flaherty – 7
A show of extremes. His decision to shoot off the defensive line left a huge gap which Arundell took advantage of for Bath’s first try but he responded with a great break from deep before Carpenter’s shot ruined the chance. He later finished well off Ford’s sharp miss to finish with two line breaks and four defenders beaten.
10 George Ford – 6
One of Sale’s more consistent performers. His quick miss on the line set up O’Flaherty’s score and he was flawless from the tee, converting all four attempts. He also made line breaks and made seven tackles, offering significantly more control than the occasionally chaotic rugby around him.
9 Gus Warr – 7
A spirited performance despite Sale struggling to maintain momentum. He registered three breaks on a seven-carry streak and won two turnovers, tying Tom Dunn for the second-highest total of the match. He added five tackles and generally looked dangerous whenever Sale was able to generate a fastball.
1 Nicky Smith – 7
He has enjoyed considerable success at scrum time. He looked to have outplayed Bath shortly before half-time despite a penalty inexplicably going the other way, then combined with Francis to win another penalty after the break. He was later penalized for collapsing against Stuart, but was generally better in his one-on-one fight.
2 Nathan Jibulu – 6
He marked his start with Sale’s opening try, who controlled the ball well on the back of a maul to cross after 13 minutes. He beat three defenders on five carries and made nine tackles, giving plenty around the park before being replaced by Cowan-Dickie.
3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour – six
He had some useful moments in the loss, making a classic line drive followed by an offload and beating two defenders from five carries while also completing six tackles. Sale’s scrum has generally competed strongly during his spell, although two missed tackles have reduced his overall impact.
4 Ernst van Rhyn – 6
One of Sale’s most reliable defenders. Made 11 tackles and registered three dominant tackles, the most of any player in the match, helping inject some physicality into a defensive game that too often lacked cohesion elsewhere.
5 Ben Bamber – 6
A valuable contribution from the second line. He made nine tackles and managed to break the line from his four tackles without becoming one of the main protagonists in Sale’s best attacking sequences or their defensive woes.
6 Christmas – 8
A spectacular, but occasionally chaotic performance. He immediately announced himself with a wild run from the kick-off and went on to make a match-high four-line break as he beat seven defenders. He also finished a record 14 tackles, but the five turnovers were a huge number and summed up Sale’s inability to consistently convert threatening moments into points.
7 Ben Curry – 6
A solid, if unspectacular outing. Finished 10 tackles and made seven disposals, adding a line break and beating one defender. The two missed tackles were part of a defensive performance from Sale that struggled whenever Bath found pace and width.
8 Tom Curry – 8
One of the best on sale. His tackle on Arundell after Russell’s early kick in midfield was a great piece of cover defense and prevented what looked a likely try. He carried nine times, made two line breaks, beat three defenders and completed 12 tackles, although the three misses reflected the difficulties Sale had with Bath.
Substitutions – 7
Luke Cowan-Dickie and Elia Canakaivata both chipped in for Sale’s late fightback, while Tomas Francis made an immediate impact at the break after replacing Opoku-Fordjour.
