In the build-up to this game, Sale boss Alex Sanderson told Daily Mail Sport of his desire to put his team back on the global rugby map through the strength of their performances.
The Sharks have had a tough season, winning just three PREM Rugby games. And while this was another defeat which ended their European hopes, elements of their display – particularly the first half – showed what the Manchester-based club can do. Maybe, in time, Sanderson will get his wish.
Sale hassled and harried Leinster on occasion who, despite the nature of the final score, seem to be a shadow of their former selves. Leo Cullen’s side were particularly poor in the first 40. Leaving Dublin, you had to wonder what Sanderson’s men could have done if they’d had their England stars Tom and Ben Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd and Raffi Quirke available. All were absent here due to injury.
Two yellow cards suffered by the Sharks were also crucial as at one point they were down to 13 men. Leinster will now host Toulon back in Dublin in the Champions Cup’s last four.
The Irish giants haven’t won this competition since 2018 and are placing a significant emphasis on ending that run this season.
But on the evidence of this showing, they will not be able to trouble teams such as Bath or Bordeaux and Toulouse who meet on Sunday.
Sale Sharks are out of the Champions Cup after a 43-13 defeat by Leinster in the quarter-finals – but boss Alex Sanderson can take hope from this performance
Sale harried and hassled Leinster and Sanderson said his team can use the showing as fuel
Leinster have called Aviva Stadium their home this season due to redevelopments at the RDS Arena down the road. But the attendance of 18,839 at the home of Irish rugby was particularly underwhelming. It gave what was on paper a huge European quarter-final the feeling of a pre-season friendly. Only the Aviva’s lower tier was open to supporters.
Protests in Dublin and across Ireland at the price of fuel and subsequent road closures may have played a part.
Without their two first-choice hookers, the task facing Sale was tough. They fell behind to a score from Leinster’s Irish try machine and hooker Dan Sheehan. As usual, Sheehan was a force of nature, even appearing in the back-row late on. But the flat-as-a-pancake atmosphere seemed to hinder Leinster and, conversely, aid Sale.
George Ford put boot to ball on almost every occasion, with conditions being worsened by pre-match rain. It was not a pretty spectacle. But it was also exactly what Sale wanted to ensure they stayed in the contest. Leinster were never really under threat, but they also made mistake after mistake. Sale must take some credit for that.
Their scrum was impressive and when Leinster’s Joe McCarthy was penalised, Ford put the visitors on the board.
To that point, Sale’s plan was working well. But four minutes before the break, Dan du Preez went to intercept a Jamison Gibson-Park pass and was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on. Still, Sale went to the break only four behind, with Ford putting a drop goal effort wide.
One thing not going Sale’s way was their line-out which struggled badly and after a strong first period, things unravelled for the Sharks when the second half began. Hugo Keenan crossed for Leinster’s second, though the ball looked to have gone forward in the build-up. To add salt to the wound, prop Si McIntyre followed Du Preez to the sin bin for a high tackle.
Ford responded with a long-range penalty with Du Preez then returning to the field.
Leinster are into the semi-finals but they do not look like winning the competition for the first time since 2018
This tie felt like a pre-season friendly due to the low attendance and poor atmosphere
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White led Sale’s display with a powerful midfield display, but Leinster’s third and fourth scores – which came through Ryan Baird and Rieko Ioane respectively – put the game to bed. Sale, wounded by fitness troubles and subsequently lacking strength in depth, ran out of puff in the final quarter. Tommy O’Brien made it five from a wicked bounce.
It was harsh on Sale and flattered Leinster no end, not that those in the Aviva seemed particularly bothered. The whole game, in truth, felt underwhelming due to the poor atmosphere and low crowd. There was barely a murmur when Sale replacement Alex Wills finished in the corner for a late but deserved consolation.
Sheehan set-up Jamie Osborne to complete the job for Leinster late on.
‘Leinster are too good to give that many opportunities. Not winning your own ball is one of the things you can control,’ Sanderson reflected.
‘There are only so many times Leinster can huff and puff before they blow the door down. I don’t believe the score was reflective of the effort the boys put in or the nature of the game. We want more of this.
‘We want to get into Europe again. There’s always the motivation to want to improve. Clearly, we’re not where we want to be. There’s nine weeks left in the season. Let’s use this as fuel.’
