Match Report: Sale Sharks 12 – 24 Loughborough Lightning

Nathan Smith’s side picked up their second win of the Allianz Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign on Saturday afternoon, as they beat Sale Sharks 24-12 at Heywood Road.

The side in African Violet went in 17 points up at the break, thanks to an early score from No.8 Daisy Hibbert-Jones, along with a brace from centre Carmella Morrall.

Sale hit back with a try of their own early in the second half, but a bonus-point score from Cath O’Donnell was enough to see Lightning pick up a five-point victory on the road.

FIRST HALF

Sale had the better of the opening exchanges, after Loughborough had given away a couple of early penalties, but it was Lightning who got the first score of the game. The away side were camped on the Sale line and finally barged over 11 minutes into the game, with Hibbert-Jones coming up with the ball.  Nelson added the extra two points, and the visitors had an early lead.

Lightning continued to build into the game after their first try, matching Sale’s physicality, and after Nelson broke through the defensive line and up to the 22, Lightning won themselves a penalty after Sale strayed offside, giving them an opportunity for a second score. 

It was an opportunity they would take, as more phase play from the forwards close to the line created space out wide, which was capitalised on by Morrall for her third try of the season.

Nelson’s conversion drifted just wide, but Morrall was over again shortly afterwards. Sadia Kabeya’s pressure forced Sale to drop the ball inside their own half, and from the resulting scrum, Lightning began to build once more – ending with the centre diving over for her second of the game.

Sale mounted their first attack on the Lightning line in the final moments of the half, but the side in African Violet held strong to go into the break 17-0 up.

SECOND HALF

Sale looked revitalised in the opening exchanges of the second 40, and were rewarded for their efforts with a try as No.8 Morwenna Talling broke through the Lightning line and dived under the posts to score against her former Club.

But it wasn’t long until Lightning replied with their bonus-point score. The away side again found themselves inches away from the line, and in similar fashion to the first half, O’Donnell had enough power to barge over the line. Nelson added the conversion to extend Lightning’s lead back to 17 points.

The home side didn’t lie down though, and landed their second try of the game with 15 minutes left to play. Replacement, and another ex-Lightning player, Nikita Prothero, dived over in the corner to cut Loughborough’s lead to 12 points.

But Smith’s side looked comfortable in the final exchanges of the game, frustrating their hosts in defence and holding on for their season win of the PWR season.

LINE-UPS

SALE: 15 Irwin, 14 Delaney (cc), 13 Haungatau, 12 Howard, 11 Bawden, 10 Rigoni, 9 Grieve; 1 Benson, 2 Swailes, 3 James, 4 Tounesi, 5 Antwis, 6 Brown, 7 Mclachlan, 8 Talling (cc)
Replacements: 16 Kelly, 17 Young, 18 Harper, 19 Morrissey, 20 Perries-Redding, 21 Jones, 22 Law, 23 Prothero

LIGHTNING: 15 Rollie, 14 Tasker (vc), 13 Mataitoga, 12 Morrall, 11 Westcombe-Evans, 10 Nelson, 9 Davey; 1 Trevarthen, 2 Treder, 3 Belisle, 4 Wassell, 5 O’Donnell, 6 Malcolm (c), 7 Kabeya, 8 Hibbert-Jones
Replacements: 16 Meuller, 17 Curphey, 18 Wells, 19 Ives Campion, 20 Duguid, 21 Weaver, 22 Taufoou, 23 Williams-Morris