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Leinster eventually trounce stubborn Sale Sharks in Champions Cup

By PA
Jacques Vermeulen of Sale Sharks celebrates winning a scrum penalty during the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final match between Leinster and Sale Sharks at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Leinster ran in six tries as they trounced Sale 43-13 to book their place in the Investec Champions Cup semi-finals.

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The Irish province got off to the perfect start at the Aviva Stadium when, after they had secured line-out ball, they went through the phases before hooker Dan Sheehan crashed over to score a 10th-minute try and Harry Byrne added the conversion.

Sharks reduced the deficit six minutes before the break with a penalty from England fly-half George Ford, but they were down to 14 men with four minutes left on the clock when number eight Dan du Preez was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.

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Full-back Hugo Keenan stretched Leinster’s lead with a second try three minutes after the restart and prop Simon McIntyre’s yellow card for a high tackle did not aid Sale’s cause despite a second Ford penalty.

Flanker Ryan Baird crossed for a third try for the hosts and wingers Rieko Ioane and Tommy O’Brien followed suit with Byrne adding the conversions.

Fixture
Investec Champions Cup
Leinster
43 - 13
Full-time
Sale
All Stats and Data

Sale replacement Alex Willis touched down in the corner and Ford obliged with the extras, but a Byrne penalty and a converted Jamie Osborne try wrapped up a convincing win.

Leinster: 15. Hugo Keenan, 14. Tommy O’Brien, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Jamie Osborne, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10. Harry Byrne, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park, 1. Alex Usanov, 2. Dan Sheehan (c), 3. Tadhg Furlong, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. James Ryan, 6. Ryan Baird, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan
Replacements:

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Replacements: 16. Ronan Kelleher, 17. Jerry Cahir, 18. Tom Clarkson, 19. Max Deegan, 20. Scott Penny, 21. Luke McGrath, 22. Ciaran Frawley, 23. Robbie Henshaw

Sale Sharks: 15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr, 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Ethan Caine, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn (c), 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Dan du Preez

Replacements:16. Alfie Longstaff, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. James Harper, 19. Reuben Logan, 20. Jos Gilmore, 21. Dom Hanson, 22. Marius Louw, 23. Alex Wills

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