Sale freeze out Quins
Sale battled driving snow to boost their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes with a 21-17 home victory over Harlequins.
By Rachel Griffiths
Last Updated: 20/12/09 6:04pm
Sale battled driving snow to boost their Heineken Cup quarter-final hopes with a 21-17 home victory over Harlequins.
The visitors were leading 14-8 at the break thanks to tries from Nick Evans and Aston Croall, but a 55th-minute score from Sharks prop Eifion Roberts fired the hosts back in front.
A penalty from Evans soon after reduced the deficit to just one point, but Sale clung on to seal their second win in eight days against the London club and turn the heat up on Pool Five leaders Toulouse.
Snow
Quins have failed to win a single group match in the tournament, but they contributed to an engaging encounter, which was almost called-off in the 70th minute due to dangerous conditions at Edgeley Park.
Match officials asked groundstaff to clear snow from around the perimeter of the pitch and the match soon resumed.
The Sharks knew a win would bring them closer to the quarter-finals and it came as no surprise when they took an early lead as number eight Sisa Koyamaibole plunged over from close range after three minutes.
Charlie Hodgson missed the conversion and the visitors quickly responded with a try from fly-half Evans in the eighth minute, which the New Zealand international successfully converted.
Sale fumbled another chance in the 15th minute when Hodgson took a penalty and again failed to find his target, but the fly-half compensated for his blunder with a superb cross-field kick towards the right flank at the halfway point of the opening period.
England wing Mark Cueto snatched possession in mid-air and made a perceptive inside pass to Dwayne Peel that almost put him over the line, but Quins' desperate defending paid off to deny the Wales scrum-half.
Fight back
Quins hit back when Croall touched down from close range in the 29th minute and Evans converted to put the visitors 14-5 ahead, but Hodgson narrowed the gap to three points by kicking two penalties either side of half-time.
The second half saw Quins' resolve begin to wane and Roberts managed to barge through in the 56th minute from close range, with Hodgson adding the conversion.
Evans sliced the home side's lead down to one point with a penalty in the 62nd minute, but Hodgson added the insurance for Sale with another three-pointer.
The heavy snow caused a late, brief interruption, but the final 10 minutes were eventually played out to see Sale take the points.
