Welford Road can be a noisy and intimidating cauldron at the best of times. Support for the home team can be fanatical, if occasionally blinkered. If a team can take the fight to Leicester, then it is possible to dampen the enthusiasm and quieten the crowd. If you allow them to come at you though, the crowd gets fired up and you can be in serious trouble. The Tigers had had all summer to brood over the mauling they received at HQ and it was obvious from the kick off that this team was as fired up as it was possible to be. Immediately we lost possession and spent the first twenty minutes playing on the back foot. There was relative parity in the scrum, but territory was conceded too readily and too cheaply. There seemed to be a lack of aggression at the break down and the ball was turned over far too easily. Bruno's line out throwing was poor, even though he more than made amends with his open play and aggressive defence. But it was in the midfield that we struggled to assert our authority. For all the brilliant handling and speed of the mercurial Mayor and the coruscating Bell, their opposite numbers, Gibson and Cornwell, carved openings through the midfield time after time, bursting through weak tackles and making ten to fifteen metres. Goode missed an early penalty. Charlie kicked his penalty comfortably, in spite of the wind, but you sensed with the dominance the Tigers had, it wouldn't be long before they were on the score sheet. First a poacher's try from Murphy, (conversion from Goode) then another by Deacon, after a flowing cross field move which saw Sale heavily outnumbered on the flank. Charlie converted another penalty, but we still looked second best. Following an excellent break from Ripol, after being shown the outside by Murphy, Charlie spotted a gap in their defensive line, dummied inside and outpaced Vesty to score under the posts. Lobbe was replaced towards the end of the half with a chest injury. In the second quarter we did take the game to them more and at times had them playing on the back foot, but given the dominance of the Tigers, the Sharks were lucky to reach half time leading 16 - 12.

Chabal did not return for the second half, having received an injury prior to the break. He was replaced by Juan Lobbe. The Tigers began the second half as aggressively as the first, Corry scoring a try from a typical Leicester rolling maul. The Sharks responded immediately with a try from Bruno, powering over in the corner having been fed by Hodgson. The rest of the game was entertaining but nailbiting as both teams pressed and strived for that elusive opening. The Tigers always seemed to pose the biggest threat though. Turner and Faure were replaced by Sheridan and Evans, Wigglesworth by Foden. Four penalties were awarded to the Tigers as Sale continued to defend desperately - 23 -28. The game turned when Chris Jones was yellow carded for obstruction. It seemed harsh at the time but he had been warned by the referee on several occasions for infringing at the breakdown. With that sin binning the game was lost. When a penalty was awarded to the Tigers on our five metre line and Corry opted for the scrum, the conclusion seemed inevitable - either a roll over try or penalty try. After resetting the scrum several times, the referee awarded a penalty try to the Tigers, citing it seems, Sheridan for deliberately collapsing the scrum. Game, set and match. Despite a late rally Sale couldn't find a way through the solid defensive Leicester line. In the dying moments Hodgson nicked a lovely through ball behind the Tigers backline for Thomas to chase on to. He was obstructed by Goode but the referee deemed this offence as less deliberate than Jones'. The Sale fans were disbelieving, as were the majority of impartial Tigers fans sat in the Crombie. A penalty is a penalty is a penalty! After that the game petered out. When the final whistle went, the Leicester team and crowd were jubilant. Yes, they had beaten the Champions and yes, they thoroughly deserved it.

The mood on the return to Cheshire was sombre. All agreed the best team had won on the day, as painful as it was to say it. All agreed that Charlie had been imperious, that Bruno had performed well in open play, that Maggie and Cuets looked to be getting back to their best and that it was good to see Andy Sheridan making a first team appearance again. As the bucks fizz began to flow again, spirits lifted and the singing began. Are Sale going to retain their championship? Of course, all agreed, this was just a wake up call. Watch out Northampton - we're no longer a small team from Cheshire.

Report by Joe Williams for salesupporters.co.uk