Opening their Premiership Rugby A League season against Sale Jets up in Manchester, the Wanderers performed well in tough conditions to get their campaign off to a perfect start as they collect the full league quota.
The Wanderers wasted no time getting off the mark, sending Charlie Clare over the line at the base of a maul before the clock had hit double digits.
Though Rory Hutchinson sent the conversion wide, he got a chance to redeem himself just minutes later as Saints’ new signing Rob Horne cut a beautiful line to cross under the posts for Saints’ second.
Sale rumbled themselves close to the line at the half hour mark through a brilliant Kieran Wilkinson break and Arron Reed charge down the left but a strong defensive effort from the Wanderers kept them out for a time.
But a yellow card to the Wandies skipper for the night Sam Dickinson gave the hosts a chance to barge over. Patient phase play eventually gave Sale a way through, Johnny Leota the man over the whitewash with a smart conversion from Wilkinson following.
A lively exchange on the touchline minutes after the restart saw Sale’s Jake Pope heading to the sin bin and the Wanderers wasted no time in making their extra man count. Heading straight for the whitewash with the resulting penalty, the Wandies sent Jamie Elliott over from close range.
A peach of a score from another of Saints’ new signings earned the Wanderers’ their fifth. Jamal Ford-Robinson went scampering down the wing after some brilliant handling from the backs to also open his account in a Saints shirt.
Sale put up a valiant fight to earn themselves another score before the final whistle blew and while they got close it was not to be, the Wandies holding on for their first win of their title defence season.
TEAMS
SALE Carleton; Reed, James, Leota, Charnley, Wilkinson, Walsh; Pope, Langdon, Will-Griff, Postlewhaite, Nott, N Dolly, Seymour, Pearce
Subs – Jones, Blanchard, Sanderson, Murphy, A Dolly, Stelmaszek, Wilkinson, Venables
SAINTS Furbank; Elliott, Horne, Estelles, North, Hutchinson, Reinach; Van Wyk, Clare, Ford-Robinson, Paterson, Moon, Ryan, Nutley, Dickinson
TIMELINE
6mins WANDERERS Try Clare 0-5
12mins WANDERERS Try Horne Con Hutchinson 0-12
34mins SALE Try Leota Con Wilkinsson 7-12
HALF TIME Sale 7 Wanderers 12
47mins WANDERERS Try Elliott 7-17
67mins WANDERERS Try For-Robinson 7-22
FULL TIME Sale 7 Wanderers 22
