Premiership club Sale Sharks is a professional offshoot.
Sale FC is semi-professional, based at Heywood Road, Sale, Greater Manchester.
A swift climb through the leagues
The club had their first success in 2004 when they won South Lancs/Cheshire Division Four.
The next two seasons they completed a treble by finishing top of Divisions Three and Two.
Further promotions followed through the pyramid by finishing champions of South Lancs/Cheshire One (2012) and North One West the following year.
The National Three North title was clinched in 2015 while even further progress was made three years later with the National Two crown.
In 2018-9 the Cheshire side found life a little more difficult in National One, but finished six points above the relegation zone.
Rams draw first blood, but Sale then win six on the spin
They were then well clear of danger in 2019-20 as Rams were successful 26-19 up North in the only game played between the clubs before Covid hit, Jack Moates, Ben Henderson, Kieran Leicester and Jak Rossiter crossing the whitewash for the visitors.
Since then, however, the Dogs have been a bogey side for Rams, winning 32-21 at Old Bath Road and 22-21 at home following a brilliant comeback in the 2021/22 campaign.
Sale also snapped the hosts’ perfect 11-match winning streak in the 2022/23 season, taking a 27-24 success as Will Partington’s last-gasp penalty agonisingly failed to hit the target for a draw, before ultimately inflicting the 35-12 defeat which stopped Rams from winning National One at the start of April.
After a tough start to the following campaign, The Dogs kick-started their 2023/24 efforts with a 29-17 home success in November 2023, going onto provide another fatal blow for Rams’ promotion aspirations as they ran out 36-19 victors later in the season.
Stunning home win
However, the Sonning men snapped their poor run last term, a brilliant performance ending in a 33-0 home success.
After an even opening half-hour Rams took the lead through Luke Graham’s well-finished try, Fraser Honey with the extras, and the fly-half was on target three more times as Zach Clow, Tomek Pozniak, Max Hayman and Robbie Stapley – with his 100th first-team try – went over after the break.
Sale grabbed their revenge in a see-saw contest at Heywood Road 12 months ago, however, running out 25-22 winners despite visiting tries from Andrew Lamb, Morgan MacRae, Ollie Cole and Solodrau Radianirova.
And they made it eight wins from 10 in the fixture with a 31-17 home triumph in pouring rain last September.
Joe Green converted a Nathan Langdon score before Willo Bicknell cut the deficit, only for an Evan Mintern seven-pointer to make it 14-5.
Rams grabbed a penalty try just before the break, but Toby Wilson’s early second-half effort was added to by Green.
An Alfie Longstaff effort and five more points from the boot of Green secured the home victory, MacRae’s injury-time score merely a consolation for the Berkshire side.
To book tickets for Saturday’s return to action, click here
