5-Star Walsh helps Tonbridge Juddians overcome Sale
2nd (Sale FC) versus 3rd (TJs) at the Morson Stadium with both sides having achieved three bonus point wins at the start of the season. Something had to give.
Sale took the lead early when prop, Tye Raymond, crashed over and James Mitchell converted, but the visitors were soon level when the backs showed plenty of skills to release Connor Lloyd for a try and subsequent conversion. 7-7
Midway through the half, a scrum penalty enabled TJs to enter the Sale 22, and they made the territory count when the ball was flung wide for Jack Walsh to score in the corner. 7-14
The Dogs levelled matters when Mitchell threw an outrageous 40m pass for Tom Walsh to score but the away side had the last say of the first 40 when their own Walsh went over for his second. HT 14-19
Disaster struck for Sale at the start of the second half as Walsh completed his hat-trick with an intercept try before collecting his clever chip through for his fourth. 14-31
What followed was a quite incredible display of tit-for-tat, attacking rugby from both sides. Firstly, Sale’s Pete Vickers buried his way over from a yard, only for Lloyd to grab a superb fifth try in similar fashion to his fourth. 21-38
Back came the Dogs with Fergus Mulchrone dashing in after good work from Dafydd Rees, but centre, Shadyn Osgood, responded for TJs as he sauntered through a widening gap in the defence. 28-45
Sale reduced the arrears to ten points again when Rees crashed over the whitewash. However, Lloyd made another interception in the 70th minute to race away and seemingly take the game away from the hosts. 35-52
Unbelievably, Alex Wills reduced the arrears again and with three minutes remaining, Oli Longmore, was bundled over; Mitchell’s kicks made it a perfect afternoon for the fly-half from the tee. 49-52
With time in the red, Wills looked to have won it for The Dogs, but the touch judge spotted a foot in touch and TJs celebrated a fine win. FT 49-52
An absolute classic game of rugby with The Dogs giving everything to try and rescue a game which often looked out of their reach. And breath!