Sale FC 1st XV v Wharfedale

Recap

This match was a feast of rugby between two teams aiming to score tries.  Wharfedale came to Heywood Road without an away win this season.  However, they were looking to gain revenge for our narrow victory away at the “Dale”.  Unfortunately for them they arrived at Heywood road to take on a team who’ve improved massively since mid December.  Before then, they were winning matches but not clinically putting teams away.

The last few weeks have seen a change of attitude and a more ruthless attacking streak.  In times past when we got our bonus point try in under 30 minutes, we took our foot off the gas and cruised.  Saturday was different.  We now have pace aplenty and with the return of Ciaran Connolly and the addition of Paolo Odogwu playing his first home game this season, there’s not many teams in this league who can cope with the all around speed of Sale FC. We have also added a new scrum half in the shape of ex-Swinton Lions and Macclesfield’s, Matthew Bradley.  This has allowed Sam Stelmaszek to move to the wing, adding a bit of extra spice to the attack.

This team put a spirited Wharfedale to the sword with nine tries, although they allowed four tries and a bonus point, two of those tries were intercepts from strong Sale attacking positions.  Wharfedale were however, a far better team than the score suggests, but for the second week running we made a good team look less than they really are.

Key moments of the match would be the second of Paolo’s tries and probably as concerning for our future opposition, the laser boot of our Captain Liam McGovern who slotted all 9 conversions from all angles.  Not all conversions were beautifully flighted, but, no one remembers how they got over, just that they did.  There was every type of try scored in this match from a rolling maul, to individual brilliance to moments of champagne rugby with passing through forwards and backs.

All of the tries scored on Saturday are now on our Sale FC Rugby TV page which will give you a true taste of the pace at which we are now playing.