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Burnage 10 Sale 0

13/ 3/2008

BURNAGE put their horrible afternoon in Hoylake last week behind them with a dominant display at Varley Park.

Sale had come into the game on form after claiming a few free-scoring victories against lesser sides in South Lancs and Cheshire One.

However, they came up against a Burnage side who controlled the game up front and squeezed the life out of their opponents.

Relentless rain and wind meant the game rarely became a free flowing expansive contest, but it was the visitors who looked keener to throw the ball wide early and use their dangerous runners.

However, their neglect of the tight play meant that the little ball they did get, they were always attacking from the back foot.

Burnage however, played the game excellently, keeping it tight and recycling phase after phase as they ground their way across every blade of grass on Varley Park.

The game ended 10-0 thanks to a Tony Lynn try as well as Sam Jennings’ conversion and penalty.

Persistence paid off for Burnage after 20 minutes when Tony Lynn crashed over following an initial break by Chris Mort.

Jennings slotted over the conversion before an infringement from Sale’s niggly pack allowed him to make it 10-0 at the break.

Burnage were well on top at this point with a far superior scrum, although their normally clinical lineout struggled.

Burnage were camped in the Sale half for the second 40 minutes but, apart from two brief forays into the Burnage half, Sale tried to run the ball on too many occasions.

The Burnage pack then ground the game out, although a catch-and-drive from a lineout was the closest they got to sealing the win earlier.

Replacement scrum-half Chris Higgins was excellent in the back row following Ralph Lawson’s injury, although he got a chance at number nine when Tom Blaney dislocated a finger.

Stuart Oldham and Chris Mort looked dangerous out wide, and the defence in the Burnage midfield comfortably consolidated what Sale had to throw at them.