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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sale hang on to beat Exeter and reach play-offs
Bevan Rodd (left) scored his sixth try of the season as Sale made the play-offs for the fourth time in five years [Rex Features] Gallagher Premiership Exeter (5) 26 Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Hodge, Haydon-Wood, Capstick Cons: Hodge 3 Sale (20) 30 Tries: Ma'asi-White, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford 3 Sale secured third place in the Premiership and a play-off semi-final at Leicester with a 30-26 victory over Exeter in a tense encounter at Sandy Park. Paul Brown-Bampoe's 20th-minute try briefly put the home side in front before Sale's superb attack kicked into gear as Rekeiti Ma'asi-White and Bevan Rodd went under the posts to help give Sharks a 20-5 lead at the break. Advertisement Josh Hodge pulled a try back for the hosts soon after the restart and, when Will Haydon-Wood cut the gap to four points Sale looked worried. Dan Frost had a fourth Exeter try disallowed for a knock on with 18 minutes left, but former Chiefs favourite Luke Cowan-Dickie forced his way over with 12 minutes left to seal victory for Sale. Richard Capstick got a fourth try for Exeter with three minutes left to set up a tense finish as the hosts ended the season with two losing bonus points. The win ensured Sale finish third in the table after second-placed Leicester beat bottom side Newcastle at home - ensuring a trip to Welford Road for the Sharks in next week's semi-finals. Advertisement An indisciplined start cost Exeter as George Ford kicked a first-minute penalty for Sale before they gave up possession a couple of metres from the Sharks line having had the better of the early play. Brown-Bampoe capped a flowing Exeter passing move to get the first try midway through the first half - although the unconverted score came at a cost as recently fit-again back Tommy Wyatt limped off having been hurt in the build-up. Ford's second penalty a minute later saw Sale retake the lead before Ma'asi-White capped off a superb passing sequence to go under the posts as Exeter struggled to defend against Sale's excellent offloading. It was more of the same eight minutes later as Rodd was the beneficiary after Ford and Arron Reed combined to create the gap for the Sale loose-head to score. Advertisement And it got worse for the home side when Ethan Roots was sin-binned shortly before the break for bringing down a maul, but despite being a man down they started the second half impressively. Exeter fightback falls just short Persistent pressure eventually told as Ma'asi-White was sin-binned after a number of penalties on the Sale line and soon after Hodge went over in the right corner as Exeter exploited the extra space. A third Ford penalty soon after calmed Sale's nerves with less than 30 minutes to play, but Haydon-Wood rounded off Exeter's best attacking move of the afternoon, Hodge and Henry Slade linked up to put the replacement over. Advertisement Exeter thought they had taken the lead five minutes later when Frost was forced over, but replays showed he had lost control off the ball as he dived over the line. Sale regained their composure and their double-digit advantage with 12 minutes to go as Cowan-Dickie forced his way over from close range. Sale missed out on a fourth try six minutes later when Gus Warr was sin-binned after replays showed a dangerous tackle in the build-up to a try from Reed, while from the resulting line-out penalty Exeter replacement Jimmy Roots was held up over the Sale line. But Exeter did get a fifth try when Capstick ran in after Slade and Tamati Tua combined. Advertisement Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Tua, Wyatt; Skinner, Townsend; Blose, Yeandle (capt), Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Molina, Vermeulen, Capstick, Roots Replacements: Frost, Sio, Roots, Tshiunza, Moloney, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Vintcent Yellow card: Roots (39) Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, J-L du Preez, B Curry (capt), D du Preez. Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dugdale, Warr, James, Wills. Yellow card: Ma'asi-White (47), Warr (74) Referee: Christophe Ridley
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Sale hang on to beat Exeter and reach play-offs
Gallagher PremiershipExeter (5) 26Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Hodge, Haydon-Wood, Capstick Cons: Hodge 3 Sale (20) 30Tries: Maasi-White, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford 3 Sale secured third place in the Premiership and a play-off semi-final at Leicester with a 30-26 victory over Exeter in a tense encounter at Sandy Brown Bampoe's 20th-minute try briefly put the home side in front before Sale's superb attack kicked into gear as Rekeiti Maasi-White and Bevan Rodd went under the posts to give Sharks a 20-5 lead at the break. Josh Hodge pulled a try back for the hosts soon after the restart and, when Will Haydon-Wood cut the gap to four points Sale looked worried. Dan Frost had a fourth Exeter try disallowed for a knock on with 18 minutes left, but former Chiefs favourite Luke Cowan Dickie forced his way over with 12 minutes left to seal victory for Sale. Richard Capstick got a fourth try for Exeter with three minutes left to set up a tense finish as the hosts ended the season with two losing bonus win ensured Sale finish third in the table after second-placed Leicester beat bottom side Newcastle at home - ensuring a trip to Welford Road for the Sharks in next week's semi-finals. Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Tua, Wyatt; Skinner, Townsend; Blose, Yeandle (capt), Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Molina, Vermeulen, Capstick, RootsReplacements: Frost, Sio, Roots, Tshiunza, Moloney, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, VintcentYellow card: Roots (39)Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, van Rhyn, Hill, J-L du Preez, B Curry (capt), D du McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dugdale, Warr, James, card: Ma'asi-White (47), Warr (74)Referee: Christophe Ridley
Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Luke Cowan-Dickie: Injury made me drink — I'm a better man now
'It has probably been the worst four years of my professional career,' says Luke Cowan-Dickie, sitting in the sunshine by the Sale Sharks training pitches, still stunned by a second call-up to the British & Irish Lions. In 2021 he was a starting hooker for the Lions, playing in all three Tests during the Covid-dominated tour to South Africa. And then his life began to unravel. He suffered some bad luck and he made some bad decisions and after four years Cowan-Dickie hardly had a body of work that he felt was worthy of consideration by the head coach Andy Farrell. His call-up represents a remarkable recovery. In November 2022, he suffered nerve damage to his neck and shoulder playing for England against South Africa
Telegraph
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
George Ford interview: Past Lions snubs made this one less painful
It was on the journey to Leicester last Thursday that the Sale Sharks players found themselves watching the British and Irish Lions squad announcement on the television screen inside their coach. For one of the Lions hopefuls, George Ford, only one word is required to describe the experience: 'Weird.' 'For the lads who weren't in contention, it was actually unbelievable entertainment for them,' Ford tells Telegraph Sport. 'Everyone was picking their own Lions squads and having their own opinions. It's different when you're in contention. A lot of that is what makes the Lions so special. It's the unpredictability of it and it being so big, the pinnacle, that it becomes a massive thing. That is never going to change, which is great.' The England fly-half, with 99 caps to his name, had made the cut on many of the pundits' Lions squads, given his wealth of international experience, his game management and leadership skills. He might not have started for England during the Six Nations but finished the championship with an impeccable cameo in the thrilling victory over Wales in Cardiff. Significantly, his run of form since then has been one of the key factors that have driven Sale to contention for the Premiership title as we reach the business end of the season, earning him the latest Gallagher player-of-the-month award. After what felt like an interminable wait for the names to be read out, there was at least some call for celebration with Tom Curry and Luke Cowan-Dickie both making Andy Farrell's squad. But for the 32-year-old Ford there was only an all-too-familiar sense of disappointment. THE MOMENT 🦁 Couldn't be prouder 💙 #WeGoBeyond — Sale Sharks 🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) May 8, 2025 'It was amazing for Tom and Luke, who are two unbelievable team-mates of ours. For them to get the nod was great. Obviously, there's a couple of us disappointed there as well, but that's just the way it is,' says Ford. 'We're only human and naturally I was very disappointed, but I have to quickly accept it, get over it, crack on, try and stay in good form, try to win games for Sale. That's just the way I've tried to deal with it. 'Your ambitions as a player are to achieve everything you possibly can so when you don't get selected for something you are disappointed. But selection is very subjective at the same time. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn't. 'And I think the main thing I try to pride myself on is being as consistent as possible, and not let those things affect the way you are and what you do, week in, week out.' He says the ability to move on from the pain of missing out with a clear head and renewed focus comes from the fact that he has twice been here before, as he was previously overlooked for the tours to New Zealand in 2017 and South Africa four years later. 'This was my third time going through it,' he adds. 'The first couple of times have probably set me up for this time. The more you go through something, the more experienced you are at dealing with it. After the initial disappointment, I was genuinely more than fine. 'It happened the day before we played Leicester away so there was no time to mope around really. You have to get your mindset right to play the game. The difficult thing to deal with is everyone coming up and saying, 'Oh, look I am sorry', and that is just because people are trying to be nice. That lingers on for a couple of hours but after that it was all good. 'As players we all understand that it is a Lions year. It is the same when it is World Cup year. But I wouldn't have sat down at the start of the year and wrote in a book that one of my goals is to be on a Lions tour. My goal would have been to just try to be the best player that I can be, to try to improve and to be successful for Sale and England. You always end up where you end up anyway. It all works itself out. 'But like I said, as a player I want to achieve as much as I possibly can and going on the Lions tour is part of that, isn't it? If you ask me if I would love to be a Lion, I would say, 'Of course I would'. Who wouldn't? But sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn't.' Sale face Bristol Bears on Friday night, a crunch game in their bid to secure a home semi-final, and Ford intends to roll up his sleeves. There will be no sulking, only a determination to keep playing so that he is ready should a Lions call yet come. 'You know this is a brutal game, I would never wish anyone to get injured, and I genuinely mean that,' he adds. 'You want to wish all the boys who are selected a massive congratulations and you want them to go and do well because they deserve it. But things do change quickly in rugby, whatever that may be. All you can ever do, I suppose, is try to be ready, try to be in good form, enjoy your rugby and what will be, will be. 'There is an England tour to Argentina which would be an unbelievable honour and privilege to be involved in if selected. You want to be playing your best rugby regardless.' If Ford does not travel to Australia, he would be among the strong contenders to captain the England tour to Argentina, with the prospect of winning his 100 th cap for his country during the two-Test series in July adding extra motivation. 'I just try to be myself regardless,' he adds. 'I am the same at the club, whether you have a 'c' next to your name or not, I just try to lead in the best possible way and try to put the team in the best position to go to try to win games. 'If I do get the opportunity to win my 100 th cap, the period of time since making my debut in 2014, I will be pretty proud of the consistency shown to try to get to that point. It is a difficult place, Test rugby. It is a difficult place to stay at the top of your game. Anyone who has done it knows it takes some bloody doing. So, look if it does happen I will be proud of that. 'There have been ups and downs along the way. It is a privilege and honour to play Test rugby for England, but it is challenging. If you think about the story of it, in 2015 we didn't get out of our pool in the World Cup, and then we lost a World Cup final (in 2019), having done a Grand Slam. You get to the 2023 World Cup not in great form and you end up making a semi-final and losing it in the last five minutes. It challenges you, but it has this addictive feel to it, playing for your country and playing in these big games, you always want to be part of it. 'Physically I feel in good shape, which as you get older has a big impact on the way you feel about things. My hunger and desire are still there. The day I feel I can't perform at that level, I won't go past my sell-by date, but as it stands, I still feel I am more than capable of doing that.'
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Tom Curry to delay surgery until after Lions tour
Sale Sharks flanker Tom Curry will have to play through the pain barrier this summer as he has postponed wrist surgery until after the Lions tour. Curry limped out of Sale's 44-34 defeat by Leicester Tigers last Friday night with a hamstring injury but a subsequent scan revealed that the 26-year-old only suffered a grade 1D tear. That is likely to preclude his involvement in Friday's key play-off match-up against Bristol Bears but will not affect his participation with the Lions. Yet both he and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, who also received a Lions call-up last week, are in the wars and director of rugby Alex Sanderson revealed that 'superhuman' Curry will have to go under the knife when he gets back from Australia. 'The wrist injury is a ligament and he will need an operation at some point, but he is clearly able to manage whatever pain he is experiencing at the moment,' Sanderson said. 'It is not something that is stopping him playing or managing his training time. The Lions are aware of the wrist problem and he will have an operation after the tour. 'He had to play through to know he could and the specialist was happy that the injury is manageable for the superhuman he is. The alternative was to have an operation now and miss the remaining games and the first two of the Lions tour. That wasn't a solution because of the competition being so high for his position and that is why he had to see if he could manage it. I am really happy he is able to do that. 'He didn't want to come off [against Leicester]. I said, 'Look, Tom, if we had thought at the start of the season that you'd play 20-odd games and be in the form you're in, we would have taken that'. You have to take a step back and take him with you, to reflect on what has been – already – a great season for him.' Cowan-Dickie, who like Curry has a complicated injury history, also appeared to hurt his already heavily strapped knee in the process of scoring a try at Welford Road. It may mean he is rested by Sanderson against Bristol in which third play fourth in a shoot-out for a play-off place. 'He was one of the ones who got scanned and he was one of the ones who came back mainly clean – but not entirely clean and I don't want to go into the details of it,' Sanderson said. 'The whole right chain of his leg has been experiencing niggles over the last two or three weeks, from his knee to his hamstring, his calf and his toe. 'He's changed his gait; the biomechanics of his running gait. It's complex. There's a necessity and an understanding about what we need to do which is best for Luke, to ensure that we don't break him, because he is liable to break himself if it was down to him. We need to win this game, we know that, but there are another three games after that which we need to win as well.'
