Sale visited Castres last week and returned with a good win and were sitting happily atop Pool 1 in the Heineken Cup. However, looks can be deceiving. Munster were second in the table, but they have only lost to Sale, at Edgeley. Were they to win all of their remaining fixtures the could easily win the pool, and Sale might not go through to the knockout stages. A bonus point was in order then.

For reasons unfathomable to others, the French coach (Seigne, not Saint-Andre!) had seriously impeded the Castres pack by dropping two key props. This was perhaps the main cause of his side's defeat, as the Sale faithful remained rather quiet throughout.

The scoring commenced soon after kick off when the Castres were penalised in the scrum, and Hodgson duly kicked for three points. Shortly afterwards the Castres fullback Romain Teulet returned the favour, but from that point on the game was all Sale. First up -two more Hodgson penalties to make it 9 - 3. With the score a bit more comfortable the Sharks really upped the pace of the game. With the first half nearly over the Castres hooker was sent to the sin bin. That was the catalyst for an enormous effort from the home team. Seconds later Sebastien Chabal crossed the line for a try, converted by Hodgson.

The floodgates had opened and the teams went back to the dressing rooms to reflect. Sale must have taken great courage from the 16 - 3 score line, just as Castres must already have resigned themselves to a defeat. In the first few minutes of the second half both Jason Robinson and Sebastien Chabal had scored magnificent tries for the Sharks - Chabal's involving the Rhone Rhino sprinting the full length of the pitch to touch down between the posts. Magnifique!

Three tries down and the game utterly sewn up at 30 - 3, surely the visitors would roll over? Nothing of the sort. Sale tried and tried to no avail and used all of their replacements in an attempt to bring fresh legs and minds to the task. It was not until the very last second of the game that the try finally came, Robert Todd rounding of a very satisfying win. There was no conversion, but the job was done.

Taking nothing for granted - things look good for a Quarter Final place for the Sharks.