Sharks go second with demolition of Sarries

MATCH REPORT: Sale Sharks climbed to second in the Premiership with a 25-7 home victory over play-off rivals Saracens.

Both teams began the game on 44 points and knowing that victory would lift them behind Bath before the rest of this weekend’s fixtures.

A stunning first-half performance laid the platform for Sale’s win as they went 22-7 ahead at the break with tries from Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, George Ford and Arron Reed.

It was no less than Alex Sanderson’s men deserved for their high-tempo approach which saw them breach Sarries’ defence after just two minutes through centre Ma’asi-White.

England flyhalf Ford added a second in the 17th minute and Scotland wing Reed then scored a spectacular long-range try for Sale’s third 10 minutes later.

Although the visitors hit back before the break with a try from wing Angus Hall, Sale were not to be denied and ran out comfortable winners.

Their attacking verve was matched by a physicality in defence which saw them dominate the collisions and restrict Saracens to very few chances.

Sale made a blistering start and opened the scoring when Ford drove at the heart of the visitors’ defence inside the left channel.

He then produced a neat offload to Reed who kept the move flowing with a similarly short pass to Ma’asi-White.

He dived over in the corner and, although Ford failed to add the conversion from near the touchline, the early score poured confidence into Sanderson’s men.

They continued to attack with vigour and purpose and Ford extended their lead with a long-range penalty in the sixth minute.

Sale’s ambition was rewarded with a second try in the 17th minute when full-back Joe Carpenter made a fine break from inside his own half.

England wing Tom Roebuck was also involved in an attack which culminated in Ford taking his pass and sauntering clear to score.

Ford converted his own try and Reed then took centre stage with a scintillating long-range effort shortly before the half-hour mark.

Collecting a pass from Ford inside his own 22-metre line, Reed showed remarkable daring and ambition to evade the attention of several Saracens defenders inside the left channel.

Once he got into his stride, the wing could not be stopped and Ford’s conversion made it 22-0 to Sale.

Saracens were stunned but they hit back in the 32nd minute when Hall had time and space to stroll over in the right corner after taking a long pass from Elliot Daly.

Fergus Burke converted to cut Sale’s lead to 15 points before the break and chances grew scarce thereafter.

Raffi Quirke went close to a fourth home score but Sale added to their points tally with another penalty from Ford in the final quarter which gave him a personal 15-point haul.

The scorers

For Sale Sharks
Tries: Maasi-White, Ford, Reed
Cons: Ford 2
Pens: Ford 2

For Saracens
Try: Ford
Con: Burke

Teams

Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Rob du Preez (captain), 12 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11 Arron Reed, 10 George Ford, 9 Gus Warr, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ernst van Rhyn, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ben Bamber, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Bevan Rodd.
Replacements: 16 Tadgh McElroy, 17 Si McIntyre, 18 WillGriff John, 19 Josh Beaumont, 20 Dan du Preez, 21 Sam Dugdale, 22 Raffi Quirke, 23 Tom O’Flaherty.

Saracens: 15 Elliot Daly, 14 Angus Hall, 13 Nick Tompkins, 12 Olly Hartley, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Fergus Burke, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Ben Earl, 6 Nick Isiekwe, 5 Hugh Tizard, 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 3 Alec Clarey, 2 Jamie George, 1 Rhys Carre.
Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Harvey Beaton, 19 Theo McFarland, 20 Andy Onyeama-Christie, 21 Juan Martin Gonzalez, 22 Charlie Bracken, 23 Alex Goode.

Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum, George Selwood
TMO: Stuart Terheege