Sale v Clermont

[An Tarbh]

<div align='center'>

Sale v Clermont</div>

Clermont are hanging on for dear life in this competition and will need to reverse the original result between these 2 sides to have any semblance of a chance of qualifying.

It's certainly the most improbable of scenarios but for it to happen they need Biarritz to stop Gloucester but considering this match is before Clermont's it could well be all over by the time they take to the pitch on Saturday afternoon. Should things go their way up to that point they'll also need Leicester to get the win at the Liberty Stadium while a Castres win or draw without bonus points would see them going through with Toulouse or Bath as one of the best runners up.

If their try count is higher than Toulouse's and they both finish on 18 points then 1 of the other scenarios can go against them.

It'd be great for the competition if Clermont could finally reach the knockout stages.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Agreed. Wouldn't be surprised if they win, since Sale're putting €out a mix and match side (as always) if the early team release is correct. McAlister at 10, Lee Thomas to return at 12, Peel finally to start etc. And they're bringing back some more injured players, methinks, in Ripol and Co...

I also heard it'll be on the red button on SS2, so here's hoping.
Clermont are an excellent side, and would - and can - cause any team problems anywhere...

 

[Vambo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir. Speedy @ Jan 22 2009, 05:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Agreed. Wouldn't be surprised if they win, since Sale're putting â'¬out a mix and match side (as always) if the early team release is correct. McAlister at 10, Lee Thomas to return at 12, Peel finally to start etc. And they're bringing back some more injured players, methinks, in Ripol and Co...

I also heard it'll be on the red button on SS2, so here's hoping.
Clermont are an excellent side, and would - and can - cause any team problems anywhere...[/b]

This is a good page for what live matches are on in the UK mate...

http://www.livesportontv.com/sportindex.php?id=7

 

[Sir Speedy]

So it's true! Yayayaya! ^.^

 

[Sir Speedy]

Teams:

Sale: 15 Nick McLeod, 14 Mark Cueto (Captain), 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Lee Thomas, 11 Oriol Ripol, 10 Luke McAlister, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 David Tait, 7 Luke Abraham, 6 Carl Fearns, 5 Brent Cockbain, 4 Chris Jones, 3 Stuart Turner, 2 Sebastien Bruno, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 Marc Jones, 17 Rob O'Donnell, 18 Sean Cox, 19 Michael Hills, 20 Richard Wigglesworth, 21 Rudi Keil, 22 Selorm Kuadey.

Clermont: 15 Antony Floch, 14 Grant Esterhuizen, 13 Thomas Combezou, Pierre-Manuel Garcia, 11 Napolioni Nalaga, 10 Seremaia Baï, 9 John Senio, 8 Alexandre Auderbert, 7 Emmanuel Etien, 6 Jamie Cudmore, 5 Thibault Privat, 4 Christophe Samson, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 2 Mirko Lozupone, 1 Vincent Debaty.
Replacements: 16 Simms Davison, 17 Martin Scelzo, 18 Loïc Jacquet, 19 Lapandry, 20 Ludovic Rodosavljevic, 21 Pierre Mignardi, 22 Wesley Fofana.

 

[An Tarbh]

Clermont obviously not holding too much hopes for events elsewhere to go their way if that team is anything to go by.

 

[Sir Speedy]

About to kick off. Clermont with a slim hope to qualify and Sale with a point to prove. Might be interesting, but don't bank on it...

 

[An Tarbh]

Clermont will be kicking themselves over that one, really should have got the lineout in and they wouldn't have been in that mess, nice try though.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Both sides looking lively. Nice try for Ripol on his comeback.

7 - 0.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Peel and McAlister running the show at the moment.
Makes me wonder why we need Wigglesworth and Hodgson...

And Clermont score through Combezou.
Poor defence on Floch from the counter-attack...
Good conversion. 7 - 10.

Privat carded for offside. Easy penalty kick for McAlister. 10 - 10.

 

[An Tarbh]

poor indiscipline from Privat, they'd just been warned as well so sheer stupidity to get pinged so quickly after

 

[An Tarbh]

lovely pick up from Nalaga, not the best efforts at tackles from the Sale defenders but good finish.

 

[Sir Speedy]

Nalaga well played, but what the hell was the covering defence doing? Sliding off him, that's what! Rubbish!
17 - 10 Clermont.

 

[An Tarbh]

McAlister cuts the gap to 4 just on the break.

17-13 Clermont HT

 

[Sir Speedy]

Great defence from Clermont there. Equally superb break from McAlister almost putting Ripol in the corner.

 

[Sir Speedy]

16 - 17 now. McAlister making amends for an earlier missed kick.

 

[An Tarbh]

take that Gatland.

 

[Sir Speedy]

:lol: He didn't see it, so it doesn't count.
The backrower Tait seems to have killed off the game. Is his foot in touch? TMO thinks not! WOOT!
26 - 17.

 

[An Tarbh]

tough call, just about looks like a try to me.

 

[An Tarbh]

it's been given, right call for my money, secures the game as well for Sale