| Saracens 28-13 Sale Saracens 28-13 SaleThere may be more flow to the Premiership this season but innovation seems to be confined to restarts. Sale scored their try today one minute after conceding the opening score of the game, Nick Macleod hanging the ball high enough to evade the arms of Saracens' two lifted forwards and give the sprinting Tom Brady the element of surprise to collect and feed Dave Seymour.Macleod had tried the same manoeuvre at the start of the game, but otherwise surprise was a precious commodity. Both sides bubbled with energy and endeavour, but it largely made for a froth of penalties, hits and mistakes. Defences held firm and Saracens, despite dominating, took a long while to secure the victory.One player who did make a difference was the England wing, David Strettle, who made his first appearance for Saracens since joining from Harlequins in the close season when he replaced Noah Cato at half-time. Cato had tried to light the fuse in the opening 40 minutes, making two clean breaks and looking to keep the ball alive in contact, but Strettle made an immediate impact.He launched a counter-attack from his own 22 three minutes into the second half and established the position from which Saracens scored their second try, Deon Carstens finishing off a series of forward drives. Strettle nearly scored when he kicked and chased from his own half, only to be tackled on the line by Paul Williams.Strettle did score his side's third and final try two minutes from time when he came off his wing and into the midfield. It is two years since he last played for England, a victim of injury more than a loss of form, but he is in the senior squad and the way the ball is being recycled more this season and kept in hand for longer, wings who are capable of more than charging at an opponent or chasing high kicks will see their value increased.Strettle has an elusive quality, but his brittleness – he missed the opening round of the Premiership because he had a groin injury – has held him back. "He has quick feet and is a very talented player but we want him to play consistently well for 80 minutes," said the Saracens director of rugby, Brendan Venter. "Only then will he get to the next level."Strettle helped Saracens pull away from Sale and personified a difference between the sides. The Sharks have trimmed their playing numbers in recent seasons, struggling to operate at a profit, while Saracens have developed one of the strongest squads in the Premiership.Sale competed gamely, twice taking the lead in the opening period through Macleod penalties, but they had to absorb considerable pressure and were fortunate that some parts of Saracens' game, not least throwing into the lineout, lacked polish. "One thing about this country is that there is too much rugby," Venter said. "You have to rotate players and the issue is not the size of your squad but having one where everyone plays." Venter has a number of dilemmas: Cato or Strettle; Derick Hougaard or Alex Goode, Richard Wigglesworth, making a quick return against Sale after leaving the Sharks in the summer, or Neil de Kock.And then there is every area of the pack. Rhys Gill withdrew shortly before the kick-off after injuring his knee in the warm-up and up stepped Carstens, a South African international. The flanker, Andy Saull, is expected to miss the opening 10 weeks of the season with a hand injury but Jacques Burger hardly weakened Saracens' presence at the breakdown.Venter used his bench well, Steve Borthwick playing the whole of the second-half, and the success of his team this season will hinge in no small measure on how happy he is able to keep his players. Sale, in contrast, will need the likes of Andrew Sheridan, Dwayne Peel, Charlie Hodgson (when fit), Mathew Tait and Mark Cueto to put their experience to optimum use.Sale conceded their first try when Carl Fearns was in the sin-bin for obstruction. Saracens kicked the penalty to touch, Mouritz Botha claimed the lineout and Brits was driven over. Brady took the restart before Michael Tagicakibau could react and sent in Seymour. Macleod twice kicked his side into the lead but Wigglesworth equalised with a penalty on each occasion.Locked at 13-13 at the break and with Sale losing their captain James Gaskell with a suspected broken leg, Wigglesworth kicked Saracens in front before Carstens gave them a 10-point lead. It was huff and puff until a couple of minutes from the end when Strettle broke free. Both sides have four points after the opening two rounds but they look to be heading in different directions.Saracens Wyles; Cato (Strettle, h-t), Powell, Barritt (Hougaard, 77), Tagicakibau; Goode, Wigglesworth (De Kock, 51); Carstens (Parr, 56), Brits (Reynecke, 63), Nieto (Du Plessis, 51), Vyvyan, Botha (Borthwick, h-t), Brown (Melck, 80), Burger, Joubert.Tries Brits, Carstens, Strettle. Cons Wigglesworth 2. Pens Wigglesworth 3.Sale Williams; Brady, Tonetti, Cueto, Cohen; Macleod, Peel; Sheridan (Roberts, 62), Briggs (Croall, 62), Wihongi (Forster, 62), Rouse, Gaskell (Lewaravu, 34), Fearns (Cox, 78), Seymour, Koyamaibole.Try Seymour. Con Macleod. Pens Macleod 2.Sin-bin Fearns, 10.Referee W Barnes (London). Attendance 6,087.PremiershipSaracensSale SharksRugby unionPaul Reesguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Wild West: Jimenez, Tulo help Rockies close gap, beat Dodgers Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run shot Friday night for his 12th homer in September, powering Ubaldo Jimenez to his 19th victory and leading the ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Louisville Water Co. lifts boil-water advisory for most Bullitt, Jefferson customers Louisville Water Co. Inc. has lifted a boil-water advisory that has been in effect since Sunday night for portions of northern Bullitt and southern Jefferson Counties. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Chinese company to plead guilty in HGH probe A Chinese company and its chief executive have agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of illegally selling human growth hormone and will pay ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Steelers: More punishments for big hits won't change us They're not sure how they're supposed to tackle. They're also confused about why they must change the way they've played football for years. ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |