SALE FC 15-34 ROSSLYN PARK

SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER

By RHYS STRATTON

A tight, tense, yet high-scoring first half saw four of the five tries scored by the two sides come from driving mauls. Conrad Cade got the scoring started just four minutes into the match as he steered a Park maul over the Sale line, before the hosts responded with a maul try of their own after a few more minutes of play through hooker Josh Brown. Continuing the early flurry of scoring, Isaac Miller dotted down from yet another driving lineout just five minutes later. Things did settle down for a while, but the final ten minutes of the half saw Sale score twice more as Obi Ene finished off a nice set-piece move to score in the corner, before Brown got his second try from the back of a maul. However, despite out-scoring the 1st XV three tries to two, Sale led by just one point at the break thanks to the boot of Josh Bragman who had made both of his conversions in spite of the swirling wind which had seen Sale fail to convert a single score.

The second half was one dominated by Park and saw far more running rugby played as the 1stXV ran in three more tries whilst holding the opposition scoreless. Charlie Mulchrone got the scoring underway with a phenomenal try as he showed great strength to shrug off a Sale defender following a one-two with Miller on the hosts’ 22. Then, Charlie Walker extended the lead as he touched down following a succession of carries deep inside the final third, which had served to suck in the defence and leave space for the winger-turned-fullback to stroll in untouched. Bragman added three more points from the tee as he slotted a penalty kick from in front of the posts, before Matt Gordon sealed the victory with a try in the final ten minutes. After a loose Sale pass was scooped up by Archie Hosking just outside the Park 22, the quick-thinking back rower popped the ball to Joe Luca Smith who in turn offloaded it to the supporting Gordon who had the gas to outstrip the trailing defenders.

ROSSLYN PARK

Tries: Cade (4’), Miller (15’), Mulchrone (44’), Walker (51’), Gordon (73’)
Conversions: Bragman (5’, 17’, 52’)
Penalties: Bragman (59’)
Yellow Cards: Martin (39’)

Team: Cade, Miller, Charalambous, Gillanders, Martin, Digby, Ellis, Hosking, C. Mulchrone, Bragman, Marfo, Gordon, J. Smith, Cordy-Redden, Walker

Replacements: Keasey, Woodward, Spencer, Fenley, James

SALE FC

Tries: Brown (10’, 39’), Ene (33’)
Conversions: N/A
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: N/A

Team: Carlile, Brown, Parker, Gray, Vickers, Gilmore, Booth, Hughes, Street, F. Mulchrone, Walsh, Robins, Roberts, Ene, Dixon

Replacements: Briggs, Raymont, Priestley- Nangle, Hunt, Green

AROUND THE LEAGUE

Birmingham Moseley 28 – 26 Sedgley Park
Bishop’s Stortford 6 –10 Rams
Dings Crusaders 31 – 31 Richmond
Esher 31 – 21 Darlington Mowden Park
Leicester Lions 17 – 34 Rotherham Titans
Plymouth Albion 29 – 23 Blackheath

This week in National One saw Moseley, Plymouth and Esher all pick up wins at home, with the latter getting their first win of the season over fellow slow-starters DMP. Elsewhere, Rotherham and Rams both won away from home, with the Reading outfit missing out on a bonus point for the first time this season in their low-scoring clash with Bishop’s Stortford. Finally, Dings Crusaders and Richmond played out a thrilling draw which brought the latter’s 5-game winning streak to an end.

Up Next for Park is a home stand against Dings Crusaders as we welcome the newly-promoted side from Bristol to The Rock on Saturday! Tickets are on sale here.