The Sale Sharks faced the Newcastle Red Bulls to start off the PREM Derby Weekend, as the northern team took yet another battering, with the final score coming to Sale Sharks 57 - 5 Newcastle Red Bulls.
Sale Sharks vs Newcastle Red Bulls match report
Sale were able to dominate from the start, playing in front of a home crowd at the CorpAcq Stadium. Rob Du Preez started off the scoreboard, scoring in the seventh minute, and Sale went on to effortlessly clock up points against the visitors, with Tom Roebuck scoring a hattrick, and Arron Reed crossing the whitewash twice.
This onslaught on tries meant that Sale were 31 - 0 up at the half time whistle, having already earned a bonus point.
It was a particularly special match for Ersnt Van Rhyn, who appeared for his 50th Sale Sharks match, as well as Luke Cowan-Dickie also returning to the pitch in dark blue and grabbing a try.
However, it was a frustrating appearance for the returning Lion, who was sin binned soon after.
The Red Bulls did manage to earn some points of their own in the second half, as Elliot Obatoyinbo forced his way across the line with his first try since March 2023. It was a stronger performance all round from the Newcastle visitors, as they managed to stave off Sale’s offensive efforts for much of the second half - something that they had entirely failed to do in the first 40 minutes.
However, a barrage of three quick, late tries from Sale Sharks cemented the score as the full time whistle blew, heralding Newcastle’s biggest loss of the Northern Derby ever.
Newcastle Red Bulls' loss
‘It wasn’t the start we had talked about or worked on during the week, and that was the most disappointing thing’, said Newcastle Red Bulls’ head coach Alan Dickens.
‘A good side made us pay, and we’ve just got to be better’.
This is the third of three lacklustre performances from Newcastle, who were hoped to experience a new lease of life under their new ownership by RedBull, the sporting giant. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case just yet, as they now sit firmly at the bottom of the PREM table.
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