Here we go again; ill-discipline costs us in a game we deserved to get something from.
With five minutes to go, we were five points behind and had kept Bath scoreless for over forty minutes. One brain fart later, and we’re twelve points behind.
Then, with about a minute to go, we have a five-metre scrum and a chance of pulling it back. One brain fart later, and the game’s gone.
I’m not going to start panicking this early in the season, but I do find myself wondering if this season will play out the same way the previous two have.
The sort of foul weather we had during this game tends to compress any difference between two teams, but I am still heartened that we kept this match so close for so long. One try from the randomness of the bounce of a rugby ball, and another from a position gifted by a moment of madness. These are part of the ebb and flow of the season.
I am more concerned that we didn’t convert our own chances. Defensively, I thought we were – as a team – on top form, but offensively, we seemed distinctly below par. It felt as if the centres barely touched the ball – listening to the commentary, you hardly heard their names mentioned.
We reverted to a kicking game – maybe understandable, given that we were also dropping the ball regularly – but that didn’t come off, either.
All in all, this was quite a forgettable game, enlivened (from a Sale perspective) by a couple of drop goals from Fordy that should go down in the annals. If nothing else, it should teach other clubs not to take a long goal-line dropout to George. It’ll come back with interest…
On a more positive note, Sale’s scrum generally had the better of Bath’s. Asher had Obano’s measure, and Bev was making mincemeat of Sela. Jibs’s darts were a bit wayward, but neither side got much return from the lineouts in that weather.
Chalk that one down to meeting the champions on a foul evening and move on. We’ve got Newcastle Falcons next, and I’d be looking for a bit of a statement. Normally, I’d be expressing some sympathy – fellow northerners, decent club and all that – but, to me, events suggest that R*d B*ll shafted Dimes, and that colours my attitude somewhat.
They are currently on a points difference of -45: let’s see if we can make that significantly bigger.1
- Yes, I do understand maths: I’m being colloquial… ↩︎
an old grey dog 