WANDERERS 41

SALE JETS 0

Guinness ‘A’ League

Franklin’s Gardens

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

On a perfect evening for rugby the Wanderers got the perfect start to their final Guinness ‘A’ League match of the season.

Inside three minutes they had their first try for winger-turned-scrum-half John Brake. And when Grant Anderson followed suit three minutes later conceding a try-scoring bonus point looked the least of Sale’s worries.

At times in the opening quarter the Wanderers were irrepressible, making holes in the Jets’ defence on a regular basis. Injury returnee Jon Clarke – receiver of a rapturous welcome by the 781-strong crowd – made a trademark run but in keeping with the style of the Academy-dominated hosts his role was to keep the ball alive.

In the 14th minutes this paid dividends once more when Josh Ives, on as a blood replacement, touched down. It wasn’t one-way traffic however, and Sale threatened regularly. But a combination of turnovers and stout defence ensured that the Wanderers’ line wasn’t breached.

Indeed it took 24 minutes for the next try to be scored by Ollie Brown. The openside showed strength to score in the corner which was well received, but not as much as Clarke’s injury-time try. Both were converted by Dan Lavery, making the half-time score Wanderers 29, Sale 0.

Brake’s second try, an opportunistic effort from a five-metre scrum, ensured that the second half began like the first. But Sale had come out of the sheds determined to avoid the whitewash, which they nearly did when Steve Hanley broke from deep inside his 22.

Anderson had other ideas however and made up the ground to haul the former England winger down. And this defence was rewarded in the 54th minute by a first Wanderers try for James Cannon that Lavery converted to make the score 41-0.

The Wanderers continued to dominate for the remainder of the match. But if anything they were guilty of trying to force the play and thinking quicker than their hands could manage.

The consequence was that the possession and territory was not rewarded by the points it deserved. But Sale could not cross the line either and the game ended Wanderers 41, Sale 0.

Teams:
Wanderers – Harries; O’Regan (Marczewski 69mins), Clarke (Wareing 40mins), Barnard, Anderson; Lavery, Brake; Beech (Visagie 78mins), Richmond (capt), Laws (Ives 11-21mins), Hoy, Cannon, Visagie (Gray 63mins), Brown (Ives 72mins), Burke (Giles 55mins).

Sale Jets – Jackson; Wilding (Campbell 36mins), Bruno, Parrott, Hanley; Waywell (Davidson 66mins), Cliff; Birchill, Jones (capt)(Lavell 40mins), Halsall (Lewis 40mins), Eborall, Walker’sitton (Dates 60mins), Briggs, Barker (Waddingham 46mins), Stewart.

Scorers:
Wanderers – Tries: Brake (2), Anderson, Ives, Brown, Clarke, Cannon; Cons: Lavery (3).

TIMELINE:
3mins WAND Try Brake 5-0
6mins WAND Try Anderson 10-0
14mins WAND Try Ives 15-0
38mins WAND Try Brown Con Lavery 22-0
40+4mins WAND Try Clarke Con Lavery 29-0
HALF-TIME WANDERERS 29 SALE 0
45mins WAND Try Brake 34-0
54mins WAND Try Cannon Con Lavery 41-0
FULL-TIME WANDERERS 41 SALE 0