The Sale Sharks rubber-stamped their place in this season’s Gallagher Premiership semifinals this weekend with a 20 – 10 over Saracens.
Securing the win whilst keeping Sarries empty-handed ensured that Sale will avoid facing a red hot Northampton Saints side in the semifinal but will instead face a strong Bath side.
For Sarries, the loss was costly as it saw them lose any chance of a home semi, and they will now travel to Franklin’s Gardens to face the Saints.
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In a rather tetchy affair, there was no love lost between the Sharks and Sarries, with both sides acutely aware of what was on the line.
Nearing boiling point on a few occasions, the match was superbly managed by referee Luke Pearce.
One incident in particular that had the potential to be truly tricky involved former England captain Owen Farrell and one of his former international teammates, Bevan Rodd.
Following a dominant Sharks scrum, Rodd popped out to see that his team had won a penalty. As he turned to head back to the mark, Christian Judge slightly nudged Rodd.
Taking the nudge in the same vein as Tyson Fury taking shots from Oleksandr Uysk in the ninth round, Rodd was sent tumbling.
Clearly, this irritated Farrell, who lashed out at his former teammate, saying, “That’s pathetic, Bevan, pathetic, you diving git!”
Intervening before things got out of hand, Pearce spoke to Rodd, saying, “Bevan, listen, mate, I know he nudged you, but I’m not sure it needed a Lionel Messi dive, okay?”
Hoping Bevan Rodd is getting rinsed by his team mates for the Lionel Messi dive! pic.twitter.com/wFaFPNADJh
— Andy Goode (@AndyGoode10) May 18, 2024
The incident caught plenty of heat online, as one would imagine; what did you make of the incident? Is diving beginning to creep into the sport? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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