{"209":{"title":"Six Nations","uri":"six-nations","id":"108","oid":"209","order":0,"hasData":1},"210":{"title":"Rugby World Cup","uri":"rugby-world-cup","id":"111","oid":"210","order":1,"hasData":1},"3":{"title":"International","uri":"internationals","id":"107","oid":"3","order":3,"hasData":1},"201":{"title":"Gallagher Premiership","uri":"premiership","id":"101","oid":"201","order":4,"hasData":1},"204":{"title":"United Rugby Championship","uri":"united-rugby-championship","id":"138","oid":"204","order":5,"hasData":1},"203":{"title":"TOP 14","uri":"top-14","id":"102","oid":"203","order":6,"hasData":1},"217":{"title":"U20 Six Nations","uri":"u20-six-nations","id":"217","oid":"217","order":7,"hasData":1},"211":{"title":"Pro D2","uri":"pro-d2","id":"119","oid":"211","order":8,"hasData":1},"208":{"title":"Bunnings NPC","uri":"bunnings-npc","id":"105","oid":"208","order":9,"hasData":1},"242":{"title":"Investec Champions Cup","uri":"european-champions-cup","id":"110","oid":"242","order":10,"hasData":1},"243":{"title":"Challenge Cup","uri":"challenge-cup","id":"118","oid":"243","order":11,"hasData":1},"340":{"title":"PWR","uri":"premiership-womens-rugby","id":"127","oid":"340","order":12,"hasData":1},"205":{"title":"Super Rugby Pacific","uri":"super-rugby","id":"104","oid":"205","order":13,"hasData":1},"207":{"title":"Currie Cup","uri":"currie-cup","id":"106","oid":"207","order":14,"hasData":1},"248":{"title":"Women's Six Nations","uri":"womens-six-nations","id":"125","oid":"248","order":16,"hasData":1},"274":{"title":"Women's Internationals","uri":"womens-internationals","id":"274","oid":"274","order":17,"hasData":1},"249":{"title":"Women's Rugby World Cup","uri":"womens-rugby-world-cup","id":"126","oid":"249","order":18,"hasData":1},"365":{"title":"Autumn Nations Series","uri":"autumn-nations-series","id":"124","oid":"365","order":19,"hasData":1},"2000":{"title":"Nations Championship","uri":"nations-championship","id":"2000","oid":"2000","order":20,"hasData":1},"1":{"title":"Rugby Hybrid Friendlies","uri":"rugby-hybrid-friendlies","id":"1","oid":"1","order":21,"hasData":1},"269":{"title":"Rugby Europe Championship","uri":"rugby-europe-championship","id":"269","oid":"269","order":22,"hasData":1},"221":{"title":"British & Irish Lions 2025","uri":"british-irish-lions","id":"113","oid":"221","order":23,"hasData":1},"214":{"title":"The Rugby Championship","uri":"the-rugby-championship","id":"109","oid":"214","order":24,"hasData":1},"141":{"title":"Super Rugby Pacific","uri":"super-rugby-pacific","id":"141","oid":"141","order":25,"hasData":1},"216":{"title":"World Rugby Junior World Championship","uri":"world-rugby-u20-championship","id":"216","oid":"216","order":25,"hasData":1},"219":{"title":"Pacific Nations Cup","uri":"pacific-nations-cup","id":"219","oid":"219","order":26,"hasData":1},"120":{"title":"Pacific Four Series","uri":"pacific-four-series","id":"120","oid":"120","order":27,"hasData":1},"862":{"title":"WXV 1","uri":"wxv-1","id":"862","oid":"862","order":29,"hasData":1},"863":{"title":"WXV 2","uri":"wxv-2","id":"863","oid":"863","order":30,"hasData":1},"864":{"title":"WXV 3","uri":"wxv-3","id":"864","oid":"864","order":31,"hasData":1},"151":{"title":"Major League Rugby","uri":"major-league-rugby","id":"131","oid":"151","order":32,"hasData":1},"116":{"title":"Premiership Cup","uri":"premiership-cup","id":"116","oid":"116","order":34,"hasData":1}}
38 - 19
FT
51 - 25
FT
24 - 25
FT
54 - 28
FT
24 - 34
FT
29 - 14
FT
17 - 27
FT
36 - 36
FT
27 - 27
FT
7 - 38
FT
21 - 43
FT
33 - 40
FT
14 - 39
FT
27 - 47
FT
56 - 20
FT
21 - 40
FT
23 - 48
FT
49 - 12
FT
45 - 36
FT
31 - 14
FT
47 - 14
FT
33 - 25
FT
14 - 32
FT
14 - 26
FT
38 - 28
FT
29 - 27
FT
57 - 19
FT
41 - 17
FT
43 - 40
FT
18 - 9
FT
28 - 12
FT
Thursday
21:00
Friday
19:30
Friday
19:30
Friday
19:30
Friday
19:30
Friday
20:45
Friday
20:45
Friday
20:45
Friday
20:45
Friday
20:45
Friday
21:00
Friday
21:00

Vermeulen shows his pedigree as Sharks destroy Harlequins

By AFP
Friday 26 Dec 2025

MATCH REPORT: Sale Sharks emphatically ended a run of four straight Prem Rugby defeats by thrashing fellow strugglers Harlequins 43-17 on Friday.

South African loose forward Jacques Vermeulen was one of the stars of the show in the fightback in the second half after the visitors led 17-12 at half-time through tries from Marcus Smith and Jack Walker.

Sale, who scored through Alex Wills and Luke Cowan-Dickie in the first half, ran riot in the second 40.

Vermeulen scored twice in quick succession to seal the bonus point before Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Raffi Quirke and Nathan Jibulu also touched down as Sale ran in 31 unanswered second-half points.

Sale’s third win of the season lifts them to seventh and within nine points of the top four.

Quins have now lost six of their eight league games this season and their play-off hopes are already beginning to fade.

The scorers:

For Sale Sharks:
Tries: Wills, Cowan-Dickie, Vermeulen 2, Ma’asi-White, Quirke, Jibulu
Cons: Ford 2, Du Preez 2

For Harlequins:
Tries: Smith, Walker
Con: Smith 2
Pen: Smith

Teams:

Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom O’Flaherty, 13 Rob du Preez, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Alex Wills, 10 George Ford, 9 Raffi Quirke, 8 Tom Curry, 7 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ben Bamber, 3 James Harper, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Bevan Rodd.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Si McIntyre, 18 WillGriff John, 19 Tom Burrow, 20 Sam Dugdale, 21 Gus Warr, 22 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 23 Gurshwin Wehr.

Harlequins: 15 Nick David, 14 Rodrigo Isgró, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Luke Northmore, 11 Cadan Murley (captain), 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Will Porter, 8 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Tom Lawday, 6 Jack Kenningham, 5 Kieran Treadwell, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Will Hobson.
Replacements: 16 Jack Musk, 17 Boris Wenger, 18 Pedro Delgado, 19 Jonny Green, 20 Alex Dombrandt, 21 Lucas Friday, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Bryn Bradley.

Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley and Jamie Leahy
TMO: Hamish Smales

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Trending

1
Wallabies' Bledisloe crash reaffirms Boks, All Blacks as only real RWC 2027 contenders
2
Lions show courage after tragedy in defeat to Stade Rochelais
3
Stormers sweating over captain's injury

Join free

KOKO Show | 13 October 2026 | WALLABIES BROUGHT CRASHING BACK TO EARTH! All Blacks Deliver Bledisloe Reality Check!

What Rugby Fans Don't See: Ben O'Keeffe on Life Under Pressure | ARP Extra

What Did the All Blacks’ Big Win Prove? | Episode 35 | Aotearoa Rugby Pod

Canada v England | WXV Global Series

MLR Weekly: New England Owner Errik Anderson re expansion/future, MLR News, College Rugby Corner

Spain v South Africa | WXV Global Series 2026 | Match Highlights

Chile v Hong Kong China | U20 Challenger 2026 | Match Highlights

Belgium v Portugal | U20 Challenger 2026 | Match Highlights

Recommended

European Cup

Dobson's Euro ultimatum: How to confound critics

3d
20
Australia

World Rankings: All Blacks to close gap on Boks again?

3d
6
European Cup

New skipper for Bulls as Giliomee gets starting debut

3d
66
European Cup

Pointers that the Lions are facing another false dawn

3d
47

Write A Comment

Trending

1
Wallabies' Bledisloe crash reaffirms Boks, All Blacks as only real RWC 2027 contenders
2
Lions show courage after tragedy in defeat to Stade Rochelais
3
Stormers sweating over captain's injury