Recent trips to Sale have seen us come away completely empty handed - apart from the ever present threat of developing webbed feet and a pneumonia from the dire conditions just outside of Manchester.

But things were different this year - we weren't playing after dark and it was sunny and dry - and that was just the start.

We'd watched the results come in - Tigers mauled by Bears on Friday night and Chiefs dismantling Saracens on Saturday - which quite bucked us up. Could we be the only away team to grab a W? The short answer is No - but the second half showed a  steely mindset and a far less porous defence. To come away with a losing bonus point and to restrict Sale to just three tries was a result that most of us would have settled for before kick off.

But there was a real feeling of frustration at the whistle, from the fans and the squad alike. This isn't a team that takes defeat lightly which is good to see. 

Pictures, as ever from https://www.redhatphoto.co.uk/Rugby-Union/Rugby-Union-Season-2023-24 head over to the website for more.....

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