Sale beat Bristol to book ticket to Gallagher Premiership play-offs
Sale Sharks secured a place in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs after beating Bristol 36-20 at Ashton Gate.
And Sale need one more win – they visit Gloucester next weekend, then host Newcastle on May 6 – to book a home tie in the knockout phase.
Bristol, who saw prop Ellis Genge yellow-carded following a high tackle on Sale flanker and his England team-mate Tom Curry, are now effectively out of the play-off race.
George Ford was the architect of Sale’s impressive win, kicking four penalties, a drop-goal and three conversions for a 21-point haul.
Skipper Ben Curry, lock Jean-Luc du Preez and scrum-half Gus Warr scored tries for Sale, while Bristol replied with touchdowns from wings Siva Naulago and Gabriel Ibitoye, a penalty and two conversions by former Sharks fly-half AJ MacGinty, plus a James Williams penalty.
But the home side were never seriously in the hunt once Sale moved 13 points clear just after half-time, and a semi-final at the AJ Bell Stadium next month is now within touching distance.
Scrum-half Harry Randall made his 100th Bristol appearance, while Joe Jenkins replaced injured centre Semi Radradra and there were recalls for lock Joe Batley and number eight Magnus Bradbury.
England flanker Tom Curry recovered from a hamstring injury to take his place in the Sale back-row alongside brother Ben and number eight Jono Ross, with prop Simon McIntyre taking over from Bevan Rodd.
Ford kicked Sale into a fourth-minute lead through a penalty from just inside Bristol’s half, but the home side quickly drew level following a spell of pressure when MacGinty landed a short-range penalty.
Bristol offered an attacking threat, although clear-cut chances were few and far between during the opening quarter, and a second 48-metre penalty from Ford made it 6-3 as Sale’s scrum showed signs of getting on top.
Ford completed a penalty hat-trick after he was tackled late by Bristol flanker Fitz Harding, yet Sale indiscipline allowed Williams a long-range chance that he accepted as the goalkicking fest continued.
A Ford drop-goal made it 12-6 before Sharks’ England centre Manu Tuilagi broke clear and freed wing Tom O’Flaherty, but Bristol number eight Bradbury’s superb cover-tackle prevented a certain try.
Sale, though, only had to wait another two minutes to breach Bristol’s defence when a missed tackle by prop Max Lahiff gave Ben Curry a free run, with his try being converted by Ford.
It was a soft score for Bristol to concede, but they ended the half deep in Sale territory and clawed their way back through a well-worked try for Naulago that was created by MacGinty’s inch-perfect kick.
MacGinty converted from the touchline, and Bristol had narrowed their deficit to six points at the interval.
Sale began the second period in concerted fashion, and Ross’ fine approach work opened up enough space for Du Preez to crash over, with Ford adding the extras.
Another Ford penalty gave Sale more breathing space, and their cause was helped when referee Luke Pearce sent to Genge to the sin-bin after he caught Curry high with his left shoulder.
Sale were in no mood to shut up shop, and Warr added a third try when he sprinted clear of a stretched Bristol defence 11 minutes from time, with an immaculate Ford again converting.
Comments on RugbyPass
So sad, god rest him. Too young to be gone. RIP
2 Go to commentsRIP big man 🙏
2 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
1 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
5 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
5 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
5 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
5 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
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