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1st XV
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Sat 11 Mar 2023  ·  National League 1
Sale FC XV
31
7
Bishop's Stortford RFC
1st XV
Sale FC 31 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 7

Sale FC 31 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 7

John Allanson11 Mar 2023 - 21:19

The clinical approach of a very strong Sale side proves too much for a battling but, ultimately, overpowered Stortford

The home side made a clear statement of intent from Stortford's opening drop out, setting up a maul on their own 22 and driving upfield and a couple of penalties and driving mauls later, they had a lineout 8 metres from the visitors' line. With three forwards standing 6ft 6ins or more tall, the attacking ball was won cleanly, but this time the Stortford pack managed to dig in and hold up the drive, forcing Sale to move the ball to their backs, who promptly knocked on. Unfortunately, Stortford struggled to find the rhythm required to make their usual expansive rugby work and the home side were soon hammering at their line again. This led to another attacking maul with 10 minutes gone, in which they managed successfully to change the point of attack and, although, as a result, detaching completely from the opposition, were allowed to drive on for an unconverted try out wide. Sale did then attempt to mobilise their very talented backs, but Stortford's defence held strong and it was by reverting to type that the home team's second score after a further 18 minutes came off the back of another driving maul, albeit by a slightly lucky bounce of a loose offload. This came shortly after Austin Pope had been yellow-carded for an unguarded comment, after he felt he had been taken out off the ball. Traffic was once more pretty much all one way, but Stortford continued to show their mettle, digging deep during extended periods of determined defending. Despite continued difficulties in putting together any threatening rugby of their own they thus managed to reach halftime with only a 10 point deficit.

The second period, unfortunately, started badly for the visitors, allowing Sale's elusive fullback to slip a first up tackle after he fielded a defensive box kick, pivot and slice through an off-balance defence to feed inside for a simple try under the posts with barely a minute of the half gone. Stortford did now manage to string together a few passes, but the home side's swarming defence stifled any threat and, eventually a scrum penalty led to another 5 metre lineout. Although, once again, Stortford's pack managed to hold the resultant drive, a couple more phases of powerful forward play created room for Sale's left wing to run under the posts to take the score to 24-0 after 50 minutes. Finally managing to find some attacking rhythm, Stortford did manage to put the home defence under some strain, but it managed to hold out, until 66 minutes had gone, when a penalty for a high tackle on a rare incursion into the Sale 22 went to touch and this time it was the visitors' pack's turn to maul over the line for a try to Alex Rayment. Dan Cole converted brilliantly from the touchline. Stortford did then enjoy a period of possession and again looked dangerous, but the defence held strong and, when Sale exploited a turnover to make 50 metres up the right wing, Charlie Parkhouse was perhaps unlucky to be judged offside, for which, given the imminent threat of a score, he was yellow-carded. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Stortford continued to defend manfully, but were unlucky, just before the final whistle to concede another try under the posts, when an attempted clearance kick was charged down and the ball bounced up kindly into the arms of a Sale forward. The 31-7 final scoreline was arguably a reasonable reflection of the overall balance of possession and territory by the home side, but did not do justice to Stortford's battling and determined defending throughout.

Match details

Match date

Sat 11 Mar 2023

Kickoff

TBC

Competition

National League 1
Further reading

Team Sponsors

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