European Cup Quarter-finals/ Biarritz 11 Sale 6: What was billed as the biggest game in Sale's history ended painfully in Spain last night as Biarritz kept the French tricolor fluttering proudly in this season's Heineken European Cup.
The English Premiership leaders did everything in their reduced power to overturn great odds but, after Leinster's heroics in Toulouse 24 hours earlier, found hosts in no mood to let the semi-final draw become a Gallic-free zone. Bath must now travel here to San Sebastian for the semi-final three weeks hence.
In the end a solitary first-half try by their Fijian wing Sereli Bobo was enough to ensure raucous celebrations among the hordes of passionate red-and-white clad supporters.
If Sale never really looked like eluding their hosts' iron grip, two of the main reasons were visible on the touchline as Sebastien Chabal and Andrew Sheridan, sat powerless on a flimsy-looking bench, ruled out by suspension and injury respectively. Without them Sale did not have the necessary firepower to blast enough holes for the likes of Charlie Hodgson to exploit.
Physically, at least, Sale were not to be brushed aside, but the deadlock could not last indefinitely. However, the Sharks reached half-time only 11-3 down with the influential Dmitri Yachvili in the sin-bin, the Irish referee Alan Lewis having lost patience with the amount of ball-killing at the breakdown.
Yachvili, who also contributed two first-half penalties, remains the man who makes Biarritz purr and, in his absence, Damien Traille missed a highly kickable penalty attempt which also helped Sale to remain in touch.
Biarritz had already lost their talismanic captain Thomas Lievremont, who lasted only 25 minutes before limping off, but their 32nd-minute try had an element of fortune about it. There seemed little danger until a stray Sale boot inadvertently prodded the ball over his own side's line, giving Biarritz a five-metre scrum. The Sharks were still stuck in reverse when a neat pass gave Bobo just enough room to surge past Mark Cueto and score in the left corner, offering a reminder of Biarritz's simmering attacking threat.
Sale had to make inroads early in the second half when Yachvili was still off the pitch. They could not do so and, instead, only a wonderful Hodgson cover tackle denied Imanol Harinordoquy a spectacular try in the left corner.
There was a flicker of hope when Harinordoquy, having been announced man of the match, took off on a celebratory surge and passed speculatively infield. The ball went to Sale's replacement hooker Andy Titterrell. Though he made 40 swift metres, he was cut down by Yachvili.
Sale were swiftly back to a diet of scraps. But, despite a second Hodgson penalty four minutes from time, there was no dramatic reprieve of the sort seen elsewhere at the weekend.
BIARRITZ: Gobelet, Bidabe, Traille, Bobo; Peyrelongue, Yachvili; Balan, August, Johnston (Lecouls, 64) Thion, Couzinet (Olibeau, 64), Betsen, Harinordoquy, Lievremont (capt; Dusautoir, 25). Try: Bobo. Pens: Yachvili 2. Sin-bin: Yachvili, 36.
SALE: Larrechea (Hanley, 46); Cueto (Courrent, 70), Taylor, Seveali'i, Robinson (capt); Hodgson, Martens (Wigglesworth, 58); Coutts, Bruno (Titterrell, 58), Turner (Stewart, 58), Fernandez Lobbe, Schofield (Day, 74), White, Lund, Jones. Pens: Hodgson 2.
Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).
- Guardian Service
