The 1st XV will welcome an in-form Sale FC side to The Rock on Saturday
Following last weekend’s thrilling win away at DMP along with Birmingham Moseley’s heavy defeat at Blackheath, the 1st XV find themselves catapulted into 3rd on the table with just 4 matches left to play. Moseley now find themselves trailing Park by a single point with some daunting fixtures coming up. The Midlands outfit will have to face Plymouth, Richmond, Rams and Chinnor before the season ends, leaving the 1st XV in pole position to secure a 3rd place finish.
As for this week’s opposition, Sale currently sit in 9th having lost as many games as they have won, a far cry from the title challengers they were just a year ago mainly thanks to the slow start they had to this campaign. To open the season, Sale lost their first 4 matches on the bounce and after 8 games had a record of just 1 win and 7 losses. Despite this, the side from the Northwest have turned things around since then and will be coming into the clash with Park on a 3-match winning streak and boasting a record of 9 wins from their last 12 outings.
Right at the beginning of this impressive 12-game stretch for Sale was the late-November matchup with Park. In that match, which finished 45-12 in favour of the home side, Charlie Walker and Josh Bragman ran in a try apiece in a frustrating game that saw Park handedly beaten despite having an edge in both territory and possession. 3 tries for Sale off the back of interceptions didn’t help matters and the 1st XV will be looking to make amends for the unflattering scoreline when the teams meet on Saturday.
Interestingly, Sale’s away form has been a point of weakness for them so far as they have won just 3 matches away from home with their first away win not coming until December (in their 12th outing of the season). However, that isn’t to say the Manchester outfit can’t be a dangerous prospect away from home, in fact their most recent away win had a huge impact on the title race as they toppled Rams by 17 points in Reading just a fortnight ago. The 1st XV will need to be on top form to ensure a win on Saturday and retain their place in the league standings.
Join us at The Rock, tickets are on sale here. Adults £14.50 online, £17 on the gate, Concession £12, U16s Free.