Here are the Sale Sharks player ratings after their 31-23 defeat to Bath in the Premiership semi-final at the Rec on Saturday.
15. Joe Carpenter: He was arguably the best player on the field for the first 60 minutes. Carpenter caught almost every high ball and was extremely dangerous on the counter. No doubt Steve Borthwick will be commentating before England’s intermediate game. 9
14 Tom Roebuck: A constant threat down the right wing, he was in a fierce battle with Will Muir and, although he didn’t enjoy his usual aerial superiority, Roebuck was still impressive. 7
13. Sam James: The outgoing centre had some fine moments but didn’t seem to get enough chances to link up with Rob du Preez and George Ford. 6
12 Rob du Preez: Some great passing and some great chances for the Sharks. It was a good performance to end a great season. 7
Threat of attacks
11 Tom O’Flaherty: Clever. He used his footwork and deceptive strength to escape numerous tackles and score well-deserved tries. 8
10 George Ford: They showed their true potential in the middle 40 minutes, but in the end Bath’s half-backs dominated and they were unable to control the game. 7
9. Gas War: The spirited scrum-half put in some good plays but was ultimately outplayed by Ben Spencer, who had the length and accuracy of a better box kick. 6
8. Jean-Luc du Pré: Sale’s greatest carrier just couldn’t get enough of the ball, constantly charging through defenders but well contained by Bath. 6
7. Sam Dugdale: A player who has finished the season in impressive form but was unable to fully demonstrate his potential in this game, despite being a nuisance at the breakdown. 6
Captain’s performance
6 Ben Curry (c): The captain produced another excellent display, landing some big hits, occasionally messing up Bath’s breakdown ball and carrying hard. 8
5 Ernst van Rijn: He replaced Hyron Andrews after he was sent off late in the game and did an excellent job, but Sale would have liked to have kept him on for a second-half performance. 7
4 Kobus Wiese: The Sharks will certainly miss Wease’s physical strength, as the South African, who is moving to the Bulls, was a strong player on both ends of the floor. 8
3 James Harper: Considering the pressure he was under, he held up pretty well but Beno Obano was clearly the better player in the scrum. Five
2 Tommy Taylor: They scored a try and had a great touch leading to O’Flaherty’s goal, the lineouts went smoothly but the scrums were an issue. 6
1 Bevan Rodd: They won one scrum penalty but gave away two, and were as loose and busy as ever, but not enough to change the course of the game. 6
replacement: Tom Curry looks like he’s never been away and is ready to go if Borthwick wants to take him to New Zealand. Other than that, the Sharks’ replacements were disappointing. Curry deserves eight points, but his teammates didn’t make the same impact. Five
read more: Ben Spencer and Finn Russell’s brilliant performances lead Bath to the Premiership final with a win over Sale Sharks
