Heineken Cup / Sale Sharks 35 Castres 3: Sale took another huge stride towards a first appearance in the Heineken European Cup quarter-finals by completing a quick-fire double over Castres last night, though a fourth win in a row was clouded by a hip injury to the England wing Mark Cueto.
As Sebastien Chabal was bulldozing his compatriots with a try either side of half-time Cueto was being treated in the dressingroom after pulling up lame as he ran infield to catch a high kick.
Sale are still not certain of a place in the last eight but, as their next European game is at home to Newport Gwent Dragons next month, they are favourites to guarantee a home quarter-final before travelling to Munster for their last group match.
The physical and mental superiority Sale's forwards had worked hard to establish meant they were never threatened by visitors who reinforce the stereotype about French teams' lack of stomach on the road.
Castres made eight changes from the team beaten 20-16 in France last week but the Sharks assumed forward dominance to take a 3-0 lead through Charlie Hodgson's first penalty.
Castres stirred themselves sufficiently to equalise through Romain Teulet but Sale immediately regained the lead as Castres' failure to take the kick-off gifted Hodgson three more points.
The Sharks then produced the only moments of excitement in a stodgy, scrappy first half as their England wings past and present, Jason Robinson and Cueto, combined down the middle to earn another penalty for Hodgson.
Again the French had no answer to the power of their forwards in a 30-metre rolling maul, other than a blatant offside for which the hooker David Roumieu was sent to the sin bin. From the resulting penalty Chabal plunged over from close range.
Chabal removed any doubt about the outcome with a second try three minutes into the second half. Robinson then darted over for Sale's third - all three scored with Roumieu in the bin.
SALE SHARKS: Larrechea; Cueto, Taylor, Seveali'I, Robinson; Hodgson, Martens; Sheridan, Bruno, Turner, Jones, Schofield, White, Lund, Chabal. Replacements: Mayor for Cueto (35 mins), Coutts for Martens (53 mins), Fernandez-Lobbe for Schofield (53 mins), Todd for Taylor (60 mins), Titterell for Brumo (64 mins), Stewart for Turner (64 mins)
CASTRES: Teulet; Milford, Raffault, Christophers, Ropati; Delaigue, Albouy; Forestier, Roumieu, Attoub, Ghezal, Capo Ortega, Froment, Bernad, Taussac. Replacements: Hoeft for Forestier (20 mins), Vigneaux for Roumieu (47 mins), Castex for Attoub (47 mins).
Referee: M Changleng (Scotland).
Guardian Service
