In the opening stages of this year’s Premiership it has not exactly been the vintage Sale Sharks we have grown accustomed to seeing in recent seasons. However, one thing that has been a hallmark of Alex Sanderson’s tenure remains the same as we approach the halfway point in the campaign: if they are to make the playoffs, it will be their home form that is likely decisive.
The Sharks have lost just five Premiership games on home soil since Sanderson was appointed in January 2021. It is a remarkable record, and one which could be more important than ever this season given their polarising form on their travels. Eight games in, Sale have lost all four of their away matches – two of them bruising, heavy losses against Northampton and Bath before the international break.
But their home form is once again magnificent, with this hard-earned victory against Leicester not only reducing the gap to the top four to just five points, but making it four wins from four at the Salford Community Stadium. The Sharks are a different breed at home and here, a magnificent second-half display laid the platform to hand the Tigers their first away defeat of the season.
Leading by just a point at half-time, 17 points inside the first 10 minutes after the restart proved to be decisive for Sale. They head into the Champions Cup in buoyant mood with a display that was much, much more like the Sharks we are used to seeing. “It’s really rewarding to see the fruits of our labour today when we needed it,” Sanderson said.
Leicester remain third but will probably be frustrated to return down the M6 without even a losing bonus point to their name. For most of the opening quarter they were the superior side, opening the scoring through a Nicky Smith try before a penalty from Handré Pollard made it 8-0. By that stage, the Tigers had a 7-1 penalty count in their favour and were frequent visitors into Sale’s 22.
So for the Sharks to only be eight points behind at that time would have likely resembled something of a win for the hosts, who eventually wrestled a grip on proceedings when Dan du Preez marked his 100th Sale appearance with a try. Pollard replied with a second penalty but there was no doubting that as half-time approached, it was the home side who were in the ascendancy.
Despite struggling in the scrum for most of the first half, the outstanding Luke Cowan-Dickie’s lineout was proving an effective weapon for Sale, and after another pinpoint delivery Bevan Rodd forced his way over to nudge the hosts ahead by a solitary point at the break. That was despite a 10-4 penalty count and a barrage of Leicester pressure; you felt if Sale turned it up a notch, they could pull away.
That proved to be the case in emphatic fashion, with a blistering passage of play after half-time proving to be the catalyst for the Sharks’ latest home success.
“We were painting a bit of a bad picture in that first half and we knew we had the things to fix it,” Sanderson said. “We were a bit braver in attack and on transition, we leaned into our maul well and when you’re doing that, it opens up elsewhere.”
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A wonderful long-range try moved Sale further ahead as the hosts went from their own 22 to the tryline in just a handful of phases, with Arron Reed the beneficiary. The wing then scored again after marvellous vision from George Ford and Rob du Preez found him in open space to secure a bonus point before the 50th minute.
It would get even better, too. Asher Opoku-Fordjour capped a wonderful week to score his first senior try a week after his England debut, as the forward spotted a gap in the Leicester defence to surge over and produce a huge roar from the home faithful, who were now sensing a crucial victory was well on the way to being secured.
Freddie Steward’s long-range try after an Olly Cracknell interception raised hopes of a losing bonus point but despite George Martin’s late try nudging them even closer to that mark, they couldn’t get the other try they needed, given how Cowan‑Dickie had marked another outstanding display with a try of his own.
We may not have seen the best of Sale so far this season but this was a performance that will have put the Premiership’s leading pack on notice as Christmas approaches.
