How do Sale stop Toulouse?
Sale Sharks come up against Toulouse in the first knock-out round of the Invictus Champions Cup in April, but how on earth do they find a win against arguably the strongest team in club rugby?
It’s no secret that Sale have had a real up-and-down season, sitting in the bottom half in the Premiership and only just escaping the group stage in Europe.
And against the reigning Champions Cup winners it’s clear much better form is needed than what Sale are currently producing.
So what do they need to do in order to pull a historic victory over the champions? Who will be the key players unlocking the tries, tackles and territory come April 6?
TOM AND BEN CURRY
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Curry brothers have enjoyed their first campaign in the Six Nations together, becoming the first ever identical twins to play for England and their form has been terrific.
Outstanding performances, particularly Tom’s during the England v France match, were key reasons for the Roses securing a historic win against Les Bleus.
Tom, the youngest of the pair by 90 minutes, was integral to England’s now infamous rush defence, racking up 11 tackles before being replaced by his brother.
His work at the breakdown and in the scrum often goes unnoticed, but since coming back from his long-term hip injury, England have seemed far more solid defensively.
His natural ability and raw strength culminate in a monstrous rugby player, stunting the most in-form attacking duo of Dupont and Ntamac.
Sale fans can take pride in the fact that their two forwards helped deny Frances and Toulouse’s three main attacking threats, as their club form has been almost unstoppable so far in the Top 14.
DUPONT AND NTAMACK
Embed from Getty ImagesIt’s a rare phenomenon in rugby where two players can be deemed the best in the world and play for the same club.
But that is exactly the case for Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.
Dupont is arguably the most complete rugby player of all time, with his kicking, passing, tackling and ground-work all being almost flawless.
He is more than just a scrum half, being able to seamlessly play multiple positions across the backs, not to mention winning a gold medal with France in Rugby sevens.
Dupont is a superhero and all superheroes need a sidekick, which is where Romain Ntamack comes in.
The perfect partner in crime for Dupont, Ntamack works flawlessly alongside his stand-off counterpart.
What makes the two so dangerous is their scary knowledge of how each other play, telepathically pulling off attacking moves without even a look at each other.
Combine this with Ntamack being one of the best passers of the modern game, they are a dangerous pair.
GEORGE FORD
Embed from Getty ImagesFordy has been a mainstay in the England set-up for almost a decade now, but playing second fiddle to Owen Farrell and now Marcus and Finn Smith has left him criminally underrated.
He would undoubtedly be considered as one of the best fly-halves of the modern era if he was given the time to shine.
Unlike Dupont, the Sale number 10’s prowess doesn’t come from a raw natural ability, rather an unmatched knowledge and understanding of the game.
His ‘rugby brain’ is phenomenal, reading the game and making the needed impact.
Some of Ford’s best performances have come from off the bench, where he’s had 50 or so minutes to analyse the game and work out the defensive weaknesses.
However, his greatest game has to be against Argentina in the 2023 World Cup, where he almost singlehandedly spearheaded a 14-man England team to victory through the brilliant uses of drop goals.
SO CAN SALE DO IT?
It will almost certainly take the performance of their season if Paul Deacon’s side are to overcome a flying Toulouse team on April 6.
But if George Ford, the Curry brothers and the rest of the team all click – and Dupont and co are halted – Sale have a good chance to squeeze over the line to claim a spot in the next round.
But they’ll have to be at their absolute best to stop this mighty Toulouse team – a team they’ve never beaten before.
Sale’s last 5 games v Toulouse:
- 05-27 Toulouse (2023)
- 45-19 Toulouse (2022)
- 28-21 Toulouse (2018)
- 20-20 Draw (2017)
- 13-19 Toulouse (2010)
