a look ahead to the final home game
Rosslyn park vs sale fc, Saturday 15th april, KO 3PM
The 1st XV take on 2nd place Sale at The Rock on Saturday in what is the final home game of the season.
The visitors currently sit on 103 points, just 1 behind the league leaders having lost just 3 times this season and will come in to this weekend’s fixture knowing that they will need to win if they want to keep pace with Rams and give themselves a shot at promotion.
Sale will be well aware that this is no small ask as they have yet to beat Park at The Rock since their promotion to National 1 after the 2016/17 season. However, the away side will nonetheless head into this clash as favourites having won their last 7 in a row with last week’s 35-12 thumping of 1st placed Rams (the second Sale victory over them this season) being perhaps their most impressive performance in that stretch. On the other side of things, the 1st XV are coming off a disappointing loss away at Taunton which came after back-to-back victories in the weeks prior and will be looking to get back to winning ways against an opponent they have historically performed well against at home.
Earlier in the season, Park and Sale played out a tense affair in the Northwest under difficult conditions as Sale triumphed 24-15 in October. The match, which had been in danger of being postponed due to freezing cold temperatures and a heavy snowfall, had its kickoff rearranged twice and the location changed all fairly last minute. Despite this, the game went ahead, and the frigid conditions and snow-covered pitch meant both sides needed to adjust their style of play resulting in a tight match that saw 5 of the 6 tries scored come from the back of driving mauls. For Park, front rowers Sam Garvey and Charlie Piper each dotted down from the back of mauls and a Craig Holland penalty and Monty Bradbury conversion rounded out the scoring on the day.
The 1st XV will be hopeful that under better circumstances, with less inclement weather, Saturday’s fixture will allow them to demonstrate the open and expansive style of play that has often made them such a formidable opponent this season.
TICKETS! Adults £14.50 (£17 on the gate), Concession £12, U16s free. Click here to buy tickets.