Sale (5) 8
Try: Roberts Pen: Macleod
London Irish (11) 11
Try: Tagicakibau Pens: Hewat 2
 Tagicakibau scored his sixth try of the season to secure the win |
Sailosi Tagicakibau scored the decisive try just before half-time to put London Irish top of the Guinness Premiership. Peter Hewat's penalty put Irish ahead before Sale's Eifion Roberts responded with a try after good work by the pack. Tagicakibau touched down in the corner after a brilliant break down the left by former Sale centre Elvis Seveali'i to put the Exiles 11-5 up at half-time. Nick Macleod's penalty cut the gap to three but the visitor's win was marred by a leg injury to Adam Thompstone. The winger was stretchered off early in the second half in some discomfort. And Irish were forced to hold on in the closing stages after replacement Peter Richards was sent off following a clash with Neil Briggs, but Sale could not make their numerical advantage pay and they picked up a losing bonus point.
Sale director of rugby Kingsley Jones:
"I'm very disappointed to say the least. "We worked hard and defended manfully but London Irish were a lot smarter than us. "We've got to be better and we've got to be smarter but it's onwards and upwards and we're not going to hit the panic button or have any crisis meetings just yet because we are only five games in."  | 606: DEBATE |
London Irish head coach Toby Booth:
"We were sloppy. I think the conditions dictated it and everyone knows we have done some wet weather training to prepare for these sort of conditions. "We'll have to be a lot better going forward because on nights like this you need to be a lot more clinical. "Tagicakibau has scored six tries now and he's getting special attention from teams because they know how dangerous he is."
Sale: Vakacegu; Cueto, M Tait, Tuilagi, Cohen; Macleod, Wigglesworth; Sheridan, Schwalger, Roberts, Cockbain, Schofield, Gaskell, Seymour, Koyamailbole.
Replacements: Kennedy for Cohen (70), M Jones for Schwalger (30), D. Tait for Cockbain (50), Briggs for Koyamailbole (55).
Not Used: Forster, Kerr, Cliff, Ripol. London Irish: Hewat; Thompstone, Seveali'i, Mapusua, Tagicakibau; Malone, Hodgson; Murphy, Coetzee, Ion, Kennedy, Casey, Thorpe, S Armitage, Hala'ufia.
Replacements: Richards for Thompstone (45), Lamb for Malone (70), Dermody for Murphy (55), Paice for Coetzee (45), Rautenbach for Ion (45), Perry for Casey (72), Danaher for Thorpe (55).
Not Used: Lalanne. Sent Off: Richards (77). Att: 6,924 Ref: Greg Garner (RFU).
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