With a five try win, Richmond claimed five more points and maintained their 100% start to the season with a fifth successive victory. Visitors Sale played a tight, disciplined game and Richmond were made to work hard for their win. Neither side were able at any stage to get more than one score ahead. With Moseley losing at Plymouth, Richmond move up to second place behind Rams whilst Sale drop to seventh.

Richmond had made two changes to their starting fifteen, Alex O’Meara returning at full back, and, in the forwards, Max Murphy coming in to the second row. Both changes involved positional switches, the versatile Callum Grieve moving to the centre and Jake Monson to open side flanker. On the bench, Guy Rogers earned his first club selection.

On a perfect autumn afternoon, a blustery wind was in Sale’s favour as Richmond kicked off. Sale were quick off the blocks, taking advantage of an excellent 50/22 kick by experienced centre Fergus Mulchrone. Richmond were then pinged for not rolling away at the tackle and fly half Will Hunt kicked the penalty from in front.

Richmond were clearly looking to play some expansive rugby and first Paddy Case from a crosskick and then Frank McMillan were almost away. Sale were then awarded a second penalty as their scrum half fired a pass straight into a retreating Richmond player. However, Richmond defended well at the far corner, the impressive Lucas Schmid bursting away from the pack to find open space before a kick ahead found touch.

From the following play, Sale dropped the ball in the centre and in a flash, man of the match Alex Schwarz spotted open space. The scrum half ran a wide angle to sprint in from thirty metres for a smart try, converted by Grieve.

Sale soon had a chance themselves, Ciaran Booth bursting away to the home 22 but failing to find the support around him. However, his team maintained the pressure well, enjoying a ten minute period of territorial dominance. Three times Sale set up five metres out, but the Richmond forwards defended well. The Sale half backs were keen to test the Richmond defence aerially in the swirling wind, especially in the far corner, and O’Meara had to be at his best to claim one high kick. On another occasion, winger Tom Walsh was almost in at the corner before Frank McMillan caught him with a decisive cover tackle.

Ironically, Richmond looked to have weathered the storm when they ran the ball out from a line out, but they lost the ball with a knock on and Sale smartly chipped through to the try line. It was neck and neck, but Walsh was first to the ball to get the touchdown. Hunt’s conversion retrieved the lead for Sale.

Sale now conceded two penalties for dangerous tackles, the second meriting a yellow card for flanker Will Riley. Richmond kicked for the corner and, after Monson and George Nugent both went close, Grieve got very low to scramble in at the corner for a try which he converted with a touchline kick.

Sale were still making full use of the wind to maintain territorial advantage but Richmond looked the more dangerous side on the counter. However, after 36 minutes, an attack down the right wing ended with the ball being lost and quickly moved to the dangerous Obi Ene. The winger is on a three year contract with Sale Sharks and showed why with a sumptuous solo try, weaving his way with ease past defenders to run in the try from forty-five metres. Hunt’s conversion left the half time score at 14-17.

The scrums were a muddle all afternoon and, after another was reset early in the second half, Sale kicked for the corner. Once again, the Richmond defence held out well but, when they conceded another penalty, Hunt took the chance to add his third penalty.

Perhaps this stirred Richmond into action as they retrieved the lead within four minutes. Lewis Dennett with a neat dummy and Luke Spring with a more direct approach helped to push the Sale defence back before skipper Case stormed through a gap to make for the line. With support on both sides, Case hesitated which way to pass and ended up simply running through the final defender on his way to the posts. Grieve added the points to take the score to 21-20.

It was not for long. Once again, the action started at a reset scrum. With the crowd howling for a knock on, the referee
waved play on. Sale moved the ball right and the now well marked Ene found Osian Roberts in support to score a try at the posts, to take the score to 21-27.

With just under half an hour to go, Richmond now seized the day. When Sale came offside, Richmond kicked for the corner. With the forwards piled around the try line, Schmid tried to force his way over but was stopped by a tackle around his neck. With the whistle surely imminent, the flanker shook off the tackle and swivelled with great skill to get the touch down. 26-27.

Four minutes later, Richmond had the lead. O’Meara claimed another skier and made excellent progress through the defence to launch an attack. Case and Rogers sped up the right wing, and, when Rogers was caught at the corner flag, Chidera Obonna was in perfect position to pick up and dive over.

That was the final score but not for want of trying. Both sides had plenty of penalties and both had chances to score from close range line outs. However, defences held out as line out routines were tested. Richmond now dominated territory and looked likelier to score but Sale kept plugging away until the final minute, when they were finally held up in a maul. Richmond booted the ball into touch and could start celebrating a hard earned victory and a very good game of rugby.

Tries: Schwarz, Grieve, Case, Schmid, Obonna
Conversions: Grieve (3)
PoTM: Alex Schwarz

Team: O’Meara, McMillan, Case ©, Grieve, Obonna, Dennett, Schwarz, Bevacqua, Goffey, Spring, Murphy, Nugent, Schmid, Monson, Pim.

Replacements: Torpey, Freeman, Woollard, Butler, Rogers