Sale Sharks 22 London Wasps 12

Ding-dong, the Wasps are dead.  For this season anyway.  But this game was no cakewalk for Sale Sharks, and for anyone who doesn't claim allegiance to Wasps there were depressingly familiar hallmarks about the way things were going with not long to go.  Use of the phrase "they don't know when they're beaten" rose by 700% in the seven days after Wasps pulled out a late win over Gloucester to qualify for this semi-final, and was maintained during the match up until Charlie Hodgson potted a late penalty to end Wasps' resurgence.  Finally, Wasps were beaten, and they knew it.

It had looked a lot simpler in the first half.  The forty minutes of rugby were summed up in one neat vignette halfway through when Sebastian Chabal picked up his opposite number Lawrence Dallaglio, and to the great joy of the Edgeley Park faithful dumped him on the ground, forcing a turnover.  Sale had clearly heard enough about how Wasps always do it when it matters, and punished some uncharacteristically poor kicking from Mark van Gisbergen by going in at half-time 16-3 up.

That they did so was due in no small part to the excellent play and bravery of Charlie Hodgson.  Hodgson was on the receiving end of the full force of Simon Shaw after catching a high ball, and is probably still touching his ribs a bit gingerly this morning.  But Hodgson's place-kicking was impeccable, and despite the clear determination of Joe Worsley to make his afternoon more uncomfortable again, he never shied away from the action.  He also converted the game's sole try, which was a magnificent solo effort from Jason Robinson.  Robinson, taking quick ball from a ruck, left two tacklers chasing shadows before hanging van Gisbergen out to dry.  Josh Lewsey couldn't catch the former England man, and that moment, in a nutshell, was why Sale's season continued beyond the final whistle.

Wasps had their chances, though they were few and far between.  Their best moment in the first half saw van Gisbergen release Tom Voyce, but unfortunately for Wasps and Voyce, the England wing pulled up with a hamstring injury after firing a wild pass into the grateful arms of Magnus Lund.  Lund, who was a deserving Man of the Match, popped up everywhere on the field, stealing lineouts, turning the ball over, and playing the groundhog in a consummate flanker's performance.

The game saw Matt Dawson's final farewell to professional rugby, and Stuart Abbott's last game for Wasps.  An era is undoubtedly coming to an end, and Iain McGeechan faces the challenge of regenerating and building a new side.  The defending champions, having won three Premiership titles in a row, are this morning facing up to a trophyless season (or would be had they not won the Powergen Cup)