Sale slip up at Montauban
Tournament rookies Montauban claimed their first victory in the Heineken Cup with a 16-12 defeat of Guinness Premiership side Sale.
Last Updated: 14/12/08 1:22pm
Tournament rookies Montauban claimed their first victory in the Heineken Cup with a 16-12 defeat of Guinness Premiership side Sale.
The French outfit was rewarded for scoring the game's only try, Fiji wing Vilimoni Delasau crossing in the 30th minute as the Sharks slipped down to second behind Munster in Pool One.
Charlie Hodgson kicked all of Sale's points to give them a losing bonus and he got the visitors on the scoreboard as early as the third minute, but it was Montauban who dominated possession with Delasau held up on the line after 20 minutes.
A counter almost saw Hodgson cross at the other end but he failed to gather his kick ahead after Andy Tuilagi's interception and it wasn't long before the French claimed the lead.
Prop Silviu Florea got his boot on a wayward Hodgson pass and when Delasau kicked ahead he scooted past Mark Cuelho to touch down, with Cedric Rosalen converting.
Hodgson reduced the arrears to 10-6 at the break but then paid for his own ambition when he took a lineout throw to himself before off-loading to an isolated Tuilagi, who conceded a penalty that Rosalen slotted over nine minutes into the second period.
But French dissent gave Hodgson the chance to redeem himself two minutes later and another penalty shortly after reduced the deficit to just a single point and set up a tense finale.
Montauban gambled by taking off both Delasau and Rosalen as the match descended into a stalemate but when Sale's French lock Sebastien Chabal was penalised for not rolling away Petre Mitu stepped up to send over the clinching penalty kick three minutes from time.
