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Playing the Blues

10/10/2008

EDF Energy Cup

Sale Sharks.........17
Cardiff Blues........18

FULL-BACK Nick Macleod was denied a dream debut for Sharks against his former club Cardiff by a try just before injury time.

Macleod, making his first appearance for Sharks since joining from Cardiff this summer, provided 12 points with the boot in the close EDF Energy Cup match.

But his points tally, and a try by centre Rudi Keil, were not enough to preserve Sharks’ lead, which lasted from the 34th minute to the 80th, when Blues substitute Richard Mustoe crossed the tryline.

It was a blow for the young Sharks side, who had competed well, displaying some attacking initiative, to keep a full-strength Cardiff from overpowering their own reduced strength side.

The first half of the match at Edgeley Park ended with Sharks, fielding a completely changed side since Wednesday night’s defeat against London Irish, leading 11-10.

Macleod opened the scoring with a penalty in the second minute but 10 minutes later Cardiff went ahead after scrum-half Richie Rees dashed between Jason White and Oriol Ripol in the 22. Winger Leigh Halfpenny ran behind him off the wing and completed the race over the tryline.

Ben Blair scored the conversion.

Minutes later winger Oriol Ripol created Sharks’ try. From a turnover, Ripol received a long pass from rookie scrum-half Chris Leck and sprinted from 70 metres, his fleet feet taking him past the scrambling Cardiff defence.

A passing exchange between Ripol and Richard Wigglesworth, playing out of position at flyhalf, preceded the final offload to Keil just in front of the tryline.

Macleod struggled with the blustery conditions, sending the conversion wide, the second of three missed kicks in the space of 10 minutes.

His opposite number Blair also missed two penalties, while scoring a conversion and penalty.

On 36 minutes, Sharks’ hooker Marc Jones was sent to the sin-bin but the hosts managed to stop Cardiff capitalising on their one-man advantage.

In the second half, Macleod scored two penalties to give Sale a 17-10 lead before the Blues’ most threatening play of the half ended in a penalty by Ceri Sweeney, despite Cardiff being within inches of the tryline.

Sale responded with a storming break from Andy Tuilagi, making his Sale debut, but his pass inside the 22 to Jason White was dropped by the Scotland international.

In the last minute of regular time Mustoe finally got the better of Sharks’ inexperienced but determined defence, crossing in the corner after a pass from centre Jamie Roberts.

The conversion was missed by Nicky Robinson and Sharks were just one point shy, but they couldn’t regain the advantage in the remaining minutes of injury time.

The final whistle brought disappointment and more injury worries for Sharks as Ripol broke his arm in the final move of the game.