The prospect of relegation is becoming uncomfortably realistic for last year's champions. Beaten at home by the Guinness Premiership's bottom club in what the match programme suggested might be the most important rugby game ever played at Edgley Park, Sale are being sucked into a mire from which Worcester, now playing their best rugby of the season by far, may yet extricate themselves.
Despite missing their captain Pat Sanderson, who broke his hand in last week's win over Bath, the Worcester pack made a superb start. The Samoan centre Dale Rasmussen barged aside the attempted tackle of the home hooker, Andy Titterrell, before being brought down in the Sale 22, and the ball was spun left for the full-back Shane Drahm, having initially been held up on the line, to receive the benefi t of a concerted forward drive and score.
The conversion was missed by the flyhalf James Brown, however, and Drahm was wide with a Warriors penalty attempt in the 17th minute. In between the flyhalf Daniel Larrechea was on target with a penalty for Sale, but it was the visitors who were playing the more coherent and often more expansive rugby. Their forwards made their dominance of possession count with a series of drives to the line which, after the flanker Drew Hickey had been stopped just short, ended with the prop Tevita Taumoepeau burrowing over for the try. Brown converted, but two more Larrechea penalties kept Sale in touch at half-time.
Worcester continued to keep the champions on the back foot after the interval, though, and nor did they make their old mistake of just trying to keep things tight. The wingers, Aisea Havili and the former Springbok Thinus Delport, saw plenty of the ball as Sale struggled to get out of their own half, and two penalties in as many minutes let Brown put the Warriors two scores clear.
With Sale not having managed a try in either of their two previous games, the Warriors' chances of registering back-toback wins for the first time this season were looking good, but at last the home team began to control the ball and exert pressure of their own.
Rasmussen's stupendous tackle on the debutant full-back Julien Laharrague saved one apparently certain try, but Larrechea's drop-goal made for as tense a final quarter as can have been played in the Premiership this season before Worcester's superb defensive effort saw them home.
"Our defensive technique and organisation was something for the players, and [defensive co-ordinator] Phil Larder, to be proud of, especially in the final quarter, but we also played a lot of good rugby which is promising for the run-in," said Worcester's head coach, John Brain.
Sale's beleaguered director of rugby, Philippe Saint-André, believes that a total of five or six points from his side's fi nal four games will be enough to ensure their Premiership safety.
"It's very painful now, and we need to fight for our lives," he said.
Sale Laharrague; Cueto, Taylor (Bell, 8), Seveali'i, Ripol; Larrechea (Thomas, 76), Wigglesworth (Foden, 75); Sheridan (Roberts, 71), Titterrell, Evans (Stewart, 71), Schofield, Cox, Jones, Tait, JM Fernández Lobbe.
Pens Larrechea 3 Drop-goal Larrechea.
Worcester Drahm; Havili, Rasmussen, Tucker, Delport; Brown, Powell; Windo, Fortey (Lutui, 61), Taumoepeau (Morris, 9-20 & 59), Gillies, Murphy (Blaze, 68), Hickey, Harding, Horstmann.
Tries Drahm, Taumoepeau Con Brown Pens Brown 2
Referee A Rowden (Berks) Attendance 8,376
