Sale Preview

It’s the fixture known in rugby circles as Enya… Sale away (from the Irish singer’s 1988 song Orinoco Flow in which she repeatedly sings ‘Sail Away’). Formed in 1861, making it the fifth oldest surviving rugby club, Sale FC is the parent club of the Sale Sharks team in the Premiership but competes as its own distinct amateur entity.

Heywood Road has been the home of Sale since 1905 and must be one of the most atmospheric rugby grounds in the country. I remember going there at the turn of the century on Friday nights and there were children craning their necks from perches high in trees in the surrounding gardens to get a sight of the likes of Jason Robinson, Charlie Hodgson and Steve Hanley. That Sale squad was packed with leaders with Steve Diamond, Jim Mallinder and current Sharks coach Alex Sanderson going on to prove their coaching pedigree.

Sale FC, coached by Director of Rugby Jonathan Keep, himself a formidable player in his time, finished second to Cheshire rivals Caldy in last season’s National League One. Like Tony Yapp, Keep abides by the mantra of always looking to improve upon the previous year’s finish so there is no secret that Sale FC is targeting promotion to the Championship this time around. Heading into this game, they lead the table with maximum points from their three games and the division's best points difference.

Titans scored well against Sale last season, registering a bonus point for four tries on both occasions the sides met. The problem for Yapp’s charges was that Sale reached the half century both times. In the corresponding fixture at Heywood Road, the men from Greater Manchester prevailed by 53-28 with their mercurial fly-half Chris Johnson pulling all the strings.

Entrance to Heywood Road is £15 per adult. A two-course pre-match lunch – with theme Scrumpy and Rugby – costs £38 for non-members of Sale FC and includes match entry. It can be booked by visiting https://www.salefc.com/pre-match-hospitality Parking at Heywood Road is limited and visitors are encouraged to use the tram (Brooklands Tram stop is 300 metres from the ground). Kick off is at 2:15 pm.

‍