Sale Sharks 27 Leicester Tigers 13 SALE Sharks re-captured the try scoring touch as the Tigers left Edgeley Park with their tails firmly between their legs.

Try scoring hasn’t come easy to Philippe St.Andre’s men so far this season, but they crossed the visitors’ line twice in the first 20 minutes of Friday’s Guinness Premiership encounter against old foes Leicester.

Mark Cueto capitalised on indecision in the Tigers’ ranks to race over 70 metres to score his second try in two games, then Mathew Tait scored his first try for the club, though few people at the ground realised it!

Taking a high inside pass from Cueto, the outside centre was driven over the line by his forwards.

Initially, it seemed that Dean Schofield was the scorer, but the club later confirmed that Tait had got the final touch. Luke McAlister converted both tries, and added a penalty after 29 minutes to make the score 17-0. Visiting scrum half Julien Dupuy opened the Tigers’ account with a penalty seven minutes before the break.

Charlie Hodgson, who had been ill during the week, was withdrawn at half time, and his influence at fly half, coupled with increased Tigers’ aggression, meant that the Sharks spent more time in the second half on the back foot.

Aaron Mauger scored a 47th minute try rather too easily, Dupuy converting, but McAlister sent over a penalty nine minutes later after Newby had made a late challenge on Wigglesworth.

A Dupuy penalty reduced the arrears to seven points, and the Tigers put the admirable Sharks’ defence, ably marshalled by skipper Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, under severe pressure. Matters weren’t helped by a sinbinning for David Doherty for technical offside.

The 14 men held firm, preventing a further Tigers’ score and, with the countdown clock showing zero, Sharks’ fullback Rory Lamont seized on a Tigers’ handling error to show terrific footballing skills over half the length of the pitch and have the final say.

Roared home by most of the 9,586 crowd, the Scot chased his controlled kick to slide over.

Amongst ecstatic scenes, the falling temperatures were forgotten as McAlister nailed the conversion for an emphatic win.

Fred Harvey