Match Preview - Top Six Finish For Grabs in Sale?

By Ed Scott
March 22 2013

Friday night sees Bath return to Premiership action against relegation candidates Sale. Currently only a win away from a Heineken Cup spot, Bath face a battle against a team who are only two points away from Premiership exit.

Many of us would have hoped that this would be the second meeting of these teams within a week, but defeat to a second string (but highly talented) Quins side saw Bath knocked out of the LV Cup and miss out not only on their best chance of silverware, but also on automatic qualification to the Heineken Cup. It’s disappointing yes, but this team needs now to pick itself up and focus on the league.

Quins winning the LV and holding a lofty place in the table means that the top six from the Premiership will all qualify for the European Cup, and there are five teams who are capable of taking slots 4-6 in the table. Currently Saints, Gloucester and Wasps occupy those places, but Bath sit only four points behind and Exeter five. More importantly, Northampton play Wasps this weekend and they each play the top three the week after.

The permutations are endless so the easiest way to look at it is that Bath need as many points as possible in the next two weeks. Two victories is likely to put them either into the top six or within a point or two of it. With our final three games of the season against the top three, I would suggest that anything less than 9 points from our next two games would result in us missing out. The bottom line is that we are about to play the two lowest teams in the league, if we can’t win those games then we simply don’t deserve to finish in the top half of the table.

The biggest threat to Bath is their away form, with their solitary away win in the Premiership coming in the first game of the season. Those statisticians amongst you may be interested to learn that Bath have now gone seven away Premiership games without victory, only Worcester have a worse away run, having not managed to win at all on the road this year.

Sale are not playing great rugby at the moment, but their recent LV win over Saracens proves that they are more than capable of turning up the intensity and winning tough games. This week they will be at home and fighting for their Premiership survival. We simply cannot underestimate the galvanising effect that a situation like that gives to a team. Sale will be pumped and desperate to put some real daylight between themselves and London Welsh at the foot of the table.

It’s easy to forget that Sale also have some real quality in their ranks. I’m surprised to see that the Kiwi Daniel Braid didn’t start last weekend (maybe he was being rested?) He has been superb for Sale when I have seen him this year, and along with David Seymour, will be a real threat at the breakdown. Combine that with Powell breaking the gain-line, the defence and direct running of Tuitupou and Leota, along with the ever dangerous Mark Cueto, and we’ve got a game on our hands. Ex-Sale man Carl Fearns I feel will be right up for this game and I believe with his physicality and the speed and guile of Louw and Skirving, we can compete well in the battle of the back rows and should have enough in the backs.

When you talk about the Sharks, it’s impossible not to mention Danny Cipriani. Once hailed as the prodigal son of English rugby, the fly half has fallen from grace somewhat and sits on the bench this week after starting the last two games. Steve Diamond has selected Nick MacLeod at 10, but he produced an error strewn match against Leicester a couple of weeks ago which we need him to replicate. In that game he was rattled into a lot of unforced errors and the likes of Fearns and Banahan need to make sure it happens once again, because when he’s on form, MacLeod can be very effective.

The real key to beating any team is to cut them off at source and this game is no different. Bath are boosted by the significant return of Paul James and Davey Wilson to their front row. I expect both men (relatively fresh from limited pitch time for their countries) to tear into the Sale scrum and give us some go forward. Wales showed on Saturday what a powerful set piece can do to a result, and if we dominate up front we stand a good chance of getting an early stranglehold on the game.

The only real significant personnel change is Hooper in for the impressive Dom Day. In a way it’s hard on Day, but both he and Attwood have played a lot of rugby since the beginning of the year and with Gaskell in the second row for Sale, I don’t worry that we’ll miss his scrummaging bulk to much. Hooper is one of the best line out forwards in the league (contrary to what many on COML think) and I believe we will look to attack Sale across the set piece. With it likely to be a wet and cold night, the ball may well be kicked a lot, so Hooper and Skirving will be looked at to spoil Sale ball.

Bath need to learn to win away from home and this weekend is the time. Sale are facing a five day turnaround after playing last Sunday as well as being one of the lowest placed teams in the league. Bath must cut out the errors, reduce the penalties and not be afraid to express themselves – it’s the only way up the table.