Sale Sharks v Bath: Five takeaways as Finn Russell ‘genius’ and ‘massive’ Miles Reid knocks down Premiership fortress
Miles Reid and Finn Russell impressed for Bath against Sale.
Following a 32-23 victory for Bath against Sale Sharks in the Premiership, here’s our five takeaways from the meeting at Salford Community Stadium on Sunday.
The top line
A moment of opportunistic brilliance from Finn Russell and Tom Carr-Smith saw Sale lose their unbeaten season’s run on home soil as Bath took a bonus-point win in the key Six Nations period of the Premiership campaign.
Tries from Arron Reed and Rob du Preez had taken Sale to a three-point half-time lead, but second-half efforts from Max Ojomoh and Carr-Smith saw Bath and the brilliant Russell engineer a precious away victory as the visitors used the howling gale and their own ability with ball in hand to pressure the wonderfully physical Sale defence.
The win takes Bath to a six-point lead at the top of the table and a last moment penalty from Russell chalked off the bonus point that Sale had worked so hard for.
It was a display of pragmatism and power from Bath, one led by their back-row, but on days like Sunday, it needs a spark of genius to unlock the match and it was Russell who did exactly that.
Coping with wind
The Salford Community Stadium can be one of the colder grounds to watch Premiership rugby at, and this match was no exception, as North-West England felt the back end of Storm Eowyn, with a ridiculously powerful wind screaming down the pitch from end to end.
Given the weather conditions, this was always going to be a match of attrition and one decided by who dealt with the elements best. We saw interesting tactical changes – back-rows being employed in the back field to crash the ball up, some raking and hanging kicks from the half-backs and back three, and of course, a magnificent defensive battle at the breakdown, where Sam Dugdale and Miles Reid both enjoyed really effective games.
But it was the back three that benefitted the most, with Reid crashing over after a chip and regather and Joe Carpenter’s kicking skill setting up a position for Sale’s lynchpin Du Preez to scoot under the defenders in the right corner.
Ruaridh McConnochie grabbed a brace for Bath, one just before half time when confusion between TMO and referee about the timekeeping, but clarification showed Karl Dickson to be correct. Dickson also made a great call working with his TMO when Ojomoh’s try was chalked off after the most marginal of knock-ons.
Game in numbers
Player of the Match Reid was the key man in that Bath back-row. He made three turnovers, 17 carries, five of them dominant through contact, and topped the tackle count for the visitors with 19, three of them dominant.
Sale made more metres with ball in hand as they tried for all they were worth to get around the Bath defence as they enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession, claiming 57% over their visitors 43%. The efficiency of Bath was far greater, scoring their tries with only seven 22 entries against the 12 chances Sale created.
But with the boot, Bath showed their intellect – managing 854m from 29 kicks against Sale’s 769m, demonstrating real pragmatism as Russell delivered 710 of those metres himself, including the brilliant 70m effort to set up the try for replacement scrum-half Carr-Smith.
Physicality
For large parts of this match it was almost the immovable object against the irresistible force as Bath used their close power carriers to pummel the outstanding Sale Sharks defence.
Beno Obano, Thomas du Toit, Charlie Ewels and Alfie Barbeary all hit 10 carries or more each, with the brilliant Bath openside Reid hitting 17 efforts with ball in hand as he had yet another massive game for the blue, black and gold on both sides of the ball.
A 20-phase effort of short range carries, all repelled brilliantly by Sale’s defence, led by Dugdale, saw Bath narrow Sale up before Russell said enough of this close-quarter nonsense and delivered a 30m pass to the right wing for a pop pass to send the outstanding Ojomoh over.
It really was a wonderful battle up front, a challenge that both packs rose to, and one where Bath just gained the edge, especially in the second half, downwind and playing one out runners to reduce risk.
Scotland hit hard
Josh Bayliss left the pitch in the 35th minute with a concerning leg injury that won’t please the Scottish coaches.
The versatile back five forward, who also has been seen filling in on the wing this season when Johann van Graan has fielded 6-2 bench configurations, has become a key part of the Scotland squad, with his ability to cover lock or back-row off the bench a key benefit of his inclusion.
With Wales squad member, tighthead WillGriff John leaving the field with an HIA and England lock option Ewels also suffering a similar fate, but returning after a check, it was day where the lack of a release contract in the case of Bayliss and John will cause ripples of discontent from their national teams.
John is expected to pass protocols to rejoin the Welsh squad, but Scotland face an anxious wait on Bayliss’ injury, with an update expected on Monday.
