And the people all said , sit down!

How many infringements have to be committed before a yellow card is produced?

On the evidence of Friday, as many as you can shake a stick at, and 78 minutes - about the same time as it takes the average ample-girthed, cologne-scented Corpulent Jolly to meander to his seat carrying enough Guinness to sink a battle ship.

Sadly I left Edgeley Park asking myself these questions after Friday's EDF encounter with Bath instead of analysing the game of rugby I'd just witnessed.

Why can't a referee take control of a game in the early stages and give firm, definitive warnings about conduct and the consequences of infringement and why do certain people bother attending games when it's patently obvious they've absolutely no interest in anything but enjoying a freebie?

Ok, perhaps the last question is rhetorical, but action needs to be taken to stop the behaviour of those clearly wearing beer goggles from interfering with and spoiling the enjoyment of those who pay for the privilege of watching a rugby match.

As for the officials, well, one can only hope that their performances are analysed and the error of their ways pointed out to them.

The game itself, or the bits of it I managed to see, started off briskly enough with Sale producing fast-paced, expansive rugby.

Thankfully the early go-slow from Cardiff wasn't repeated. Charlie and Wiggy took the game by the scruff of the neck from the off and got the ball out wide quickly at every available opportunity.

Our forwards pressurised at each ruck and maul. The plan paid dividends after just six minutes when Bath were penalised for offside.

Instead of taking the points Charlie signalled his intent and kicked for the corner. Considering Bath's renowned strength at the lineout, this was a bold move, but then again, when you've got Corcho and Nacho back in your lineout, I guess it's worth a punt.

It paid dividends as Sale were able to secure their ball and drive back infield, allowing Charlie to drop a kick and get the scoreboard ticking.

Hills latched on to a popped pass form Wiggy minutes later and broke through the Bath defence to feed the ball to Lawson. Stan was unmarked and arriving at pace on the flank and a simple pass was all it would've taken to put him in the clear.

The pass duly was given but sadly it was forward. Despite the protests of the crowd I reckon the ref called that one correctly from what I could see, though more stragglers from the hospitality bun-fight tried their best to make sure the view was obscured.

I'm sure the price of the commodities market is important. Well, probably, but is it really necessary to stand up and bark down your mobile about it during the match?

Here's a tip lads - save it for the office and sit down.

Continued Sale pressure produced another penalty six minutes later as Bath were pinged for collapsing the scrum. Lorne Ward was having a torrid night trying to hold his own against an aggressive and fired-up Sheridan.

Hodgson despatched the penalty confidently and things looked promising.

Even though Bath have won their last five games, they were made to look ordinary by Sale's high pressure, fast-paced game plan. Granted they were missing the likes of Grewcock, Stevens, Claassens, Short and Barnes, but still, I expected more.

Bath were on the back foot and their scrum was getting mullered. The Lobbe brothers, Hills and Lawson were all getting stuck in and pressurising their defensive line, forcing mistakes and handling errors.

Three minutes later and the referee blew for yet another penalty, this time against Ward again for not binding at the scrum. Actually he looked like he was holding on for dear life to stop Big Ted getting any sort of momentum. I expected the ref to have serious words with Borthwick about the continued infringements, but obviously expected too much.

Still 9-0 up and definitely in the ascendancy - perhaps I was just being pernickety.

However Sale Sharks never do anything the easy way and instead of persisting with the plan that was making Bath stutter, we decided to sit back and take our foot off the gas, inviting them on.

Our defence in fairness was resolute. Stan, Foden and Mayor put themselves about. Stan's physical presence completely nullified Banahan's game, which was surprising given he came with such a high reputation.

Inevitably though, holding such a high defensive line was likely to lead to giving away a penalty.

Sale conceded the first of three lineout turnovers as Borthwick stole the ball. Stephenson and Crockett attacked from deep targeting Charlie's 10 channel, as so many other teams have done this season. He definitely needs more protection.

Fair dos, he can tackle with the best of them but he should be dictating the game not holding the fort.

Berne, faced with few attacking options, chose the cross-field ball instead. Sale's over-eager defence was caught offside and Berne was able to reduce the deficit from the penalty.

The introduction of Abendanon in some ways turned the game for Sale. He replaced Ian Davey but went to full back instead, swapping places with Stephenson.

Abendanon is an attack-minded player who likes to take the ball forward and run from deep, but he doesn't always play on the same wavelength as his team mates and can find himself isolated. One of his attacking flurries broke down when he tried to run the ball from his own 22 and was brought down and penalised for holding on.

From the resulting scrum Bath were penalised once more - this time for boring. Hodgson's imperious kick re-established the nine-point lead and at last the crowd began to find its voice.

Two minutes before half time came the moment of the match. Berne under pressure from Hills failed to find touch with his clearance kick and the ball dropped kindly to Hanley.

Bath's defensive line backed off, giving Stan the chance to counter-attack. Given his size and speed I suppose they could be forgiven - I'd probably have backed off too if I saw him running at me at full pelt!

He took the ball into their half and chipped over the static defensive line, catching the ball behind them to feed the advancing Chris Bell. He outpaced Berne and easily held off Cheeseman to plant the ball in the corner.

Hodgson duly converted with another magnificent kick. The half time whistle blew with the score at 19-3 and everything looked rosy.

Sale continued the same high pressure tactic after the break but rustiness, handling errors and knock-ons neutralised all the effective work of Hills, Tait and Corcho in the loose.

Three minutes into the half and Bath were penalised for holding on. Flatman was pinged at the resulting scrum for boring and Hodgson converted with another beauty.

Finally the referee took Borthwick to one side and had what I hoped were stern words as the penalty count was becoming a bit of a joke. The Jollies arrived back with another barrel of Guinness and settled down for deep and meaningful conversation' about mortgages and pension annuities.

It's a pity the referee doesn't have the ability to yellow card some members of the crowd.

A Sharks offside decision on halfway gave Berne the chance to kick for goal, but unsurprisingly given the score, he opted to kick for the corner.

Borthwick was able to claim the ball with an excellent take and feed it back to Ward who was driven over by the posts. Berne converted and brought the score back to 22-10.

In spite of this rally though, you didn't expect a comeback. There's no doubt that Sale weren't at the top of their game but you always sensed they had the measure of Bath and had enough in reserve should it be needed.

Sale managed several half breaks and Charlie almost burst through after an intelligent interception by Hills, but the final pass just wasn't quite right.

That was pretty much the story of the night - almost but not quite. On another day everything might've come off, but that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Hodgson converted another penalty before being replaced by Martens - Wiggy moved to fly half.

From then on it was only ever a question of seeing out the game. Sale were comfortable but there was a lack of urgency and adventure.

The only talking points were why Cox's try was disallowed and had a side ever fielded four scrum halfs before?

The answer to the first apparently was that he came through the centre of the maul - well, not from where I was sitting.

The second answer I don't know, but I would doubt it's ever happened before.

After the game I felt obliged to speak to the people responsible for causing so many disruptions.

I asked them if they'd enjoyed the game. They all assured me the experience had been memorable - the food, the drink and the entertainment. They'd enjoyed it so much that they intended to come back again.

And the rugby, I asked? I was met with a vacuous look and all they could muster was yeah right'.

I left getting the sense that even though the wheel might still be turning, the hamster was probably dead.

So another home win and still a chance to qualify for the semi-final of the EDF Cup. It wasn't our best performance by a long way and the fact that our internationals hadn't trained with the squad for a long time showed through clearly.

To qualify we must at the least beat Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, preferably with a bonus point and hope the other results go our way.

That's easy enough then, given our Jekyll and Hyde performances on the road.

We don't travel well at the moment and our recent away form doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

Nevertheless I'll go in hope. All I ask is that the authorities at Welford Road let me know where the Corpulents sit so that I can find another spot on the opposite side of the ground.