Sharks down in Devon (From Messenger Newspapers)

Sharks down in Devon

12:59pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in Trafford Sport

Exeter Chiefs 43, Sale Sharks 6 SALE Sharks suffered a savage second half decline at Sandy Park on Saturday and saw their pre-season hopes dashed.

They made far too many basic errors, allowing the Chiefs to run in six tries against their harrassed defence.

Sharks were too far on the back foot for Danny Cipriani to create any reply.

Mieres gave Exeter a 12th minute lead with a penalty and within five minutes had added the opening try to his tally.

Tatupu found Scaysbrook in support after Sharks had lost a lineout, setting up the fly half to break through.

A further Mieres penalty on 22 minutes following a scrum offence took the Chiefs into double figures.

Macleod opened up his season's account with a penalty but it was fully half an hour before Sharks mounted a decent attack through Gaskell.

Cipriani replaced Tuitupou, who had a slight hamstring injury, then Peel and Addison tried hard to work an opening. The abundance of knock ons continued and chances were lost. The final scoring of the first half came from another Mieres penalty in the final minute.

Life didn't get any better for the Sharks on the resumption. After conceding an early penalty in a ruck, the Sharks fell further behind to a try from Muldowney, converted by Mieres to make the score 21-3. A second Macleod penalty on 52 minutes signalled a tryfest from the Exeter side.

Shoemark capitalised on uncertainty to set up Jess (56 mins.) and England squad flanker Johnson crossed for the home bonus point five minutes later. With 13 minutes left to play, Willis was put in difficulties by Barrett to set up another Jess try. Six minutes from the end, Budgen forced his way over, Steenson converting to complete the rout.

Sharks' director of rugby Bryan Redpath said: "Our detail was poor, and there were far too many individual errors. We gave away ten set pieces, and they scored from three of them. I'm not taking anything away from Exeter, but we made it pretty easy for them.”

Sale Sharks: Miller, Addison (Davies 79), Leota, Tuitupou (Cipriani 32), Uys, Nick Macleod, Dwayne Peel (Willis 51), Lewis Roberts (Harrison 62), Ward (Jones 51), Cobilas (Buckley 53), Gray (Vernon 69), McKenzie (Myall 49), Gaskell , Seymour, Powell.