Saracens vs Sale Sharks match report: Kruis control keeps Sarries on track

If there is something intangibly amiss with Project Saracens, their second subjugation of Sale in successive weeks means progress in the European Champions Cup remains within the control of last season’s beaten finalists. Another dazzling showing in the second row by George Kruis compensated for finishing one try short of the desired bonus point.

Precise predictions are tricky with today’s matches and two rounds of fixtures in January still to play, but Saracens’ Pool One, plus Pools Two and Five, look likeliest to produce the three runners-up who will reach the quarter-finals with the group winners. Sarries’ preferable route would naturally be to banish any doubt with wins over Munster here and away to Clermont, but on current form the latter result would be odds-against.

Saracens led 11-8 at half-time but the margin ought to have been wider. Spurning a shot at the posts for a scrum penalty as early as the fourth minute, Saracens threw a line-out to their captain Alastair Hargreaves on the right and fashioned a clear overlap on the opposite wing. All it needed for the try was a safe pass between Chris Ashton and Dave Strettle. The pass was okay but, with the ball just about in his grasp, Strettle distracted himself with a glance at the goal-line and lost control.

So Saracens built a lead instead with two penalty goals by Owen Farrell – who had reclaimed the fly-half jersey with Charlie Hodgson picked on the bench – that punished hands in a ruck by Sale, and a turnover snaffled by Mako Vunipola, who continued his good showing in this aspect of play from last week’s 19-15 win for Sarries in the reverse fixture in Manchester. There was a literal blow to Saracens from the restarts after Farrell’s second kick, when Strettle clashed heads with Will Addison and went off, concussed.

Sale added to the discomfort with a try by their Scotland lock Nathan Hines, teaching Strettle an unlikely lesson about hanging on to the ball as he stretched over a pile of bodies. Sale had reacted to being out of contention for the last eight by making eight changes to their starting XV and Nick Macleod – in for Danny Cipriani – missed the conversion.

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Dan Braid, the captain, was present and correct, and Sale frustrated Saracens with a turnover to end an attack of a dozen phases. But they couldn’t hold out in the 36th minute when Richard Wigglesworth and Strettle’s replacement, Ben Ransom, broke up the left and, stretching Sale the width of the pitch, Alex Goode scored at the right corner after a neat exchange between Duncan Taylor and Ashton, and energetic linking by Wigglesworth. Farrell’s conversion was off target and while Sale had a penalty by Macleod to close the half, Farrell replied in kind after 54 minutes to make it 14-8.

Saracens may have lost Steve Borthwick’s line-out nous but Kruis, the summer retiree’s young successor, has a gallop ‘Borthers’ never possessed. Given that Kruis also seems uncommonly well off for footballing instinct, it is no wonder England capped him last month. His smart swivel and pass was excellent in helping create the home team’s second try on 57 minutes, converted by Farrell. Taking his No 10’s pass, Kruis appreciated the need for a swift transfer, as did Billy Vunipola and Chris Wyles as they passed to Ransom to dive over.

Saracens’ chairman Nigel Wray called in his programme notes for supporters to “point out an opposition forward pass [and] clamour for a penalty try”. It is called “passion”, according to Wray. The shivering spectators in a crowd of only three-quarters of the 10,000 capacity appeared ill-disposed to shout for anything much – and while the ground will surely be packed when the Munstermen get here, Billy Vunoipola’s try and Farrell’s conversion was not enough for a bonus point, not even the last word. Sale had been pummelled backwards in a scrum in the home 22, but they returned with a vengeance as Eifion Lewis-Roberts rumbled over in a maul for a try converted by Joe Ford.

“We didn’t get a bonus,” said Billy Vunipola, “but we’re not massively disappointed, as the win was the most important thing.”

Line-ups:

Saracens: A Goode; C Ashton, C Wyles (C Hodgson 76), D Taylor, D Strettle (B Ransom 20); O Farrell, R Wigglesworth (N de Kock 60); M Vunipola (R Barrington 67), J George (B Sharman 76), P du Plessis (J Johnston 67), G Kruis, A Hargreaves (capt, J Hamilton 60), K Brown, J Burger (J Wray 57), B Vunipola.

Sale Sharks: M Haley (A Forsyth 76); T Brady, W Addison, M Jennings, M Cueto; N Macleod (J Ford 51), W Cliff (N Fowles 70); R Harrison (J Flynn 76), S Mamukashvili (C Neild 72), V Cobilas (E Lewis Roberts 65), N Hines (J Mills 65), A Ostrikov, M Easter, D Braid (capt, A Hughes 60), J Beaumont.

Referee: J Garces (France)