Montpellier double Sale's score
Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:47
French Top 14 club Montpellier recorded a comfortable 42-21 victory over English Premiership outfit Sale Sharks in their Vaquerin Challenge match at La Stade Yves du Manoir at the weekend, outscoring the visitors by six tries to three.
Montpellier, despite missing the services of several French internationals - such as Fulgence Ouedraogo, Louis Picamoles and François Trinh-Duc - as well as All Black Justin Marshall, raced into a 21-0 half-time lead.
Despite a strong second-half comeback by the Sharks, the French outfit matched them try-for-try and by the end f the game had doubled the English side's score.
The Sharks were also without their French international, utility forward Sebastien Chabal.
Montpellier took the lead after only four minutes with a soft try by Fédérico Todeschini, who converted his own score for a 7-0 lead. Five minutes later Montpellier doubled their lead when Jean-Matthieu Alcalde scored a try down the middle - converted by Todeschini - for a 14-0 lead.
Montpellier took both their chances well, and the two scores seemed to wake up the Sharks - who had two great chances to score midway through the half, but both chances were squandered.
Montpellier, having soaked up the Sharks pressure, increased their lead with their third converted try - by Thierry Brana.
There were no more scores before the break and as they left the field, the Sharks knew that for the second time in four days they were going to have to mount a huge fightback in the second half.
David Doherty scored the Sharks first try straight after the restart and skipper Luke McAlister converted the try to narrow the gap to 7-21, but straight from the restart Montpellier scored another converted try - replacement Olivier Sarraméa's try converted by Todeschini for a 28-7 lead.
The Sharks tried in vain to close the gap and Montpellier scored their fifth converted try in the corner on the hour - by Bruce Douglas - to make it 35-7.
Young wing Nick Royle scored a try for the Sharks by the posts and with Luke McAlister's conversion made the score 14-35.
Royle scored again shortly afterwards McAlister's conversion brought the Sharks to within two scores of Montpellier's lead at 21-35.
Sale Sharks went all out on the attack, but Montpellier countered and scored the final try of the game - through Todeschini, who also added the conversion for a personal contribution of 22 points.
The scorers:
For Montpellier:
Tries: Todeschini 2, Alcalde, Brana, Sarraméa, Douglas
Cons: Todeschini 6
Sale Sharks:
Tries: Douglas, Royle 2
Cons: McAlister 3
Teams:
Sale Sharks: 15 Oriol Ripol, 14 Selorm Kuadey, 13 Luke McAlister (captain), 12 Lee Thomas, 11 David Doherty,
10 Nick McLeod, 9 Will Cliff, 8 Carl Fearns, 7 Michael Hills, 6 Alex Shaw, 5 Brent Cockbain, 4 Sean Cox, 3 Ross Davies, 2 Scott Lawson, 1 Stuart Turner.
Replacements - from: Neil Briggs, Marc Jones, J Jones, Eifion Roberts, Martin Halsall, Adrian Kennedy, Chris Leck, Dean Schofield.
Montpellier: 15 Mark Mac Hugh, 14 Jean-Matthieu Alcalde, 13 Oliver Smith, 12 Grant Rees, 11 Thierry Brana, 10 Fédérico Todeschini, 9 Julien Tomas, 8 Jérôme Vallee, 7 Johan Wasserman, 6 Vassili Bost, 5 Goncalo Iva, 4 Michel Macurdy, 3 Eugène van Staden, 2 Fabien Rofes, 1 Pietman van Niekerk.
Replacements - from: Mickaël Ladhuie, Sébastien Petit, Geoffrey Doumayrou, Mickaël De Marco, Sylvain Mirande, Matthieu Petitdemande, Adrien Tomas, Douglas Bruce, Benjamin Goze, Rickus Lubbe, Robin Solana, Olivier Sarraméa.
