Jonathan Davies: Power play turning Sale from also-rans into the pacesetters of England

If they want a bit of flash, Charlie Hodgson is at his best

Sale's transformation to power-based rugby typifies what has been happening in the English gamegenerally, and they are shap- ing up as a team capable of winning this season's Heineken Cup.

I expect them to beat the Newport-Gwent Dragons comprehensively today to seal the leadership of a very tough group. The Dragons have not been going too well, and if they could not stop Sale beating them at Rodney Parade they are unlikely to avoid an avalanche this afternoon.

Having guaranteed qualification Sale would then go to their final group match at Munster. where a win would guarantee them a home draw in the quarter-finals. Securing the home draw is most important, because they must be very confident of beating anyone at home, and if they can get to the semi-finals they need not fear anyone.

Sale's power-shift is not likely to get us excited about the scintillating rugby to come, but you can understand their move to a block-busting style. We purists may not welcome the trend, but if that is the way the English game is going they are sensible to go with it - and at the moment Sale are doing it as well as anyone.

Thankfully, their switch of priority from creativity to crunch has not entirely removed the exciting appeal of the team. They were always capable of producing thrilling rugby, but up front they were prone to being beaten up. Not any more. They have more than a few destructive souls such as Andrew Sheridan to man the battlements, and the likes of Leicester and Wasps do not scare them any more.

Yet their coach, Philippe Saint-André, has been shrewd enough to recognise the importance of retaining some surging skill behind, and I still like watching them play. They have the ability to score tries out wide and, no matter how how steely-tough you make your game, a bit of pacey penetration is always valuable.

Saint-André has also introduced a much tougher mentality into the whole side and produced a potent blend of British and French approaches. They can compete with anyone in the tight and get over the gain line, and the backbone of the team is so solid.

If they want of bit of flash, Charlie Hodgson at outside-half is playing his best rugby and ensures that they score their fair share from penalties. And if there's a drop goal to be had, he will take it.

You would hardly call their centres mercurial. Elvis Seveali'i and Mark Taylor are not renowned for their creativity or pace, but they are very solid as far as the basics are concerned and excellent defensively. With Jason Robinson and Mark Cueto, there is enough electricity in the back three to add the cutting edge when it is required.

But the pulverising potential of the pack is their strength. They have a great No 8 in Sébastien Chabal, who has Magnus Lund alongside him in the back row, power in the second row of Chris Jones and Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe, and also in hooker Sébastien Bruno. They are in a difficult Heineken Cup group, and the way they are blasting their way through it must give them confidence that they can go all the way. If you look at the history of the cup, it's those with the juggernaut packs who have done the best. It's a hard lesson to learn, but Sale look to have learned it thoroughly.

Leicester, those veteran Heineken battlers, will certainly be looking enviously at Sale's situation today. Leicester face a home tie against Stade Français that looks the hardest of the tournament. They are locked so tightly at the top that Leicester might not win the group even if they win today. Leicester's lead is just one point, but although they could stretch that to five, Stade could nick it the following week.

While Leicester have to travel to Clermont Auvergne, Stade are home to the Ospreys and could well clinch a bonus point to force a photo-finish on points difference. The only way Leicester could clinch it today is to get a bonus point out of Stade, and that's a tall order. It will be hard enough to get a narrow victory from what is likely to be the most intense and abrasive tie so far.