Sale 23-26 Wasps: Paul Deacon handed defeat in first Premiership match in interim charge of Sharks thanks to tries from Charlie Atkinson and Tom Cruse... but Alfie Barbeary and Zach Kibirige suffer serious injuries
- Sale Sharks were beaten 26-23 at home to London Wasps in the Premiership
- The match was Paul Deacon's first Premiership game as interim Sale coach
- Charlie Atkinson and Tom Cruse scored Wasps tries, Lima Sopoaga kicked well
- Sale's Marland Yarde got his 50th Premiership score but it was not enough to win
- Alfie Barbeary hurt his ankle in the win while Zach Kibirige was stretchered off
Alfie Barbeary is facing a lengthy injury lay-off after inspiring this key Wasps victory in Salford on Sunday, while team-mate Zach Kibirige was carried off after being knocked out.
An impressive festive result for Lee Blackett's team came at a cost. Barbeary's latest tour de force in the back row had propelled the visitors into a second-half lead at the AJ Bell Stadium but he was forced off in pain and the early signs are not good for the aspiring hooker, who has been making waves while operating at No 8 — as he did yesterday — and as a flanker.
'Alfie heard something go in his ankle,' said Blackett, Wasps' head coach. 'We're a bit worried about him. He could be out for some time, which would be disappointing as he’s been doing really well.'
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Wasps wing Kibirige was removed on a stretcher after being treated by medics for the best part of 15 minutes in the closing stages of the game. He fell heavily forwards while chasing the ball and being pursued by Marland Yarde, who quickly called for assistance when his opponent stayed on the turf.
'Zach is talking now and should be up walking in the next couple of hours,' said Blackett.
'He was knocked out cold and didn't really know what was going on. It's never nice to see. It's the longest I've seen our medical guys treating anyone.'
The first half was a mess of technical infringements and incessant whistle-blowing by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys. After Lima Sopoaga and AJ MacGinty had exchanged early penalties, Sale captain Faf de Klerk was lucky to avoid a card when he flung up his right foot as he tried to claim a high kick and caught scrum-half Will Porter in the chest.
Eight minutes before the break, a rare burst of fluent rugby by Sale brought their first try. Deft handling from De Klerk and MacGinty allowed Sam James to release Yarde for a sprint to the corner.
Wasps rallied at the start of the second half and they were level in the 43rd minute as Barbeary made his presence felt. He claimed possession off the Sale breakdown and later kept the move alive with a pick-up and overhead pass. Charlie Atkinson found a gap in the Sale defence to level the scores.
Sopoaga was on target with his conversion and would soon step up again, only a few moments after a 46th-minute penalty by MacGinty had given Sale a fleeting lead.
Barbeary was in his element by now — stripping the ball in a tackle, rampaging through a cluster of defenders, then offloading for Tom Cruse to crash over. Sadly for Barbeary and Wasps, he limped off only a few minutes after that eye-catching intervention.
It looked as if Barbeary had done enough as Wasps extended their lead through three further Sopoaga penalties.
However, Yarde burst through late on for his second try, leaving Blackett's men with three minutes to defend a three-point lead. They held on for an important win, lifting them to sixth and achieved with minimal preparation time and without England internationals Joe Launchbury, Jack Willis and Jacob Umaga.
Sale have lost three games in a row since Steve Diamond's abrupt exit from his post as director of rugby. Interim head coach Paul Deacon, who is hoping for the full-time job, said: 'We were poor in the second half, but our training intensity has been good and the lads seem to be on board.'
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