Sale Sharks 41-5 Exeter Chiefs - Sharks storm to emphatic Gallagher Premiership Rugby victory with six tries

The Gallagher Premiership Rugby top-four log jam is even more congested after Tom Roebuck's hat-trick led Sale to a thumping victory over Exeter.

There are now seven teams on eight wins behind leaders Northampton prior to the hiatus for European competition next week, with Exeter sixth and Sale eighth.

The reverse fixture finished in a 43-0 demolition of the Sharks, but this time it was the Chiefs withstanding a drubbing at the Salford Community Stadium.

For his first and third tries, Roebuck was on the spot to dive over from close range with the second, a minute into the second half, seeing him catch a high kick then spin a challenge and race 40 metres to the line. But maybe the most memorable was him dropping a certain try after he had chased 60m and kicked over the try-line.

Tries from Luke Cowan-Dickie and Gus Warr extended the lead before half-time, with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scoring the Chiefs' lone try.

No team, not even the winless Newcastle Falcons, have notched less bonus points than the four Sale Sharks had going into the match - and it may well still be the thing which keeps them out of this year's top four. This looked a different Sharks outfit to the one we have seen for much of the campaign though. The coach insisted he knew a performance was coming before kick off and his side's quality during the 80 minutes was evidence his confidence was warranted. They will wish they did not have to wait three weeks for their next Premiership match as few would want to face them in this form.

The hat-trick is the obvious point of difference for him, but his play was almost faultless bar the drop of the try.

"I'm gonna get ripped for that," Roebuck said, while laughing, on TNT Sports after the match.

This should not take away from a complete performance in defence and in attack where he was invariably in the right position and making the correct decisions to further the Sharks' cause.

Sale: Carpenter 7, Roebuck 9*, Rob du Preez 7, Tuilagi 8, O’Flaherty 7, Ford 8, Warr 7; Rodd 7, Cowan-Dickie 8, Harper 7, Wiese 7, Beaumontvan 7, Rhyn 7, Curry 8, JL du Preez 7.

Replacements: Taylor 6, Harrison 6, Opoku-Fordjour 7, Bamber 6, Andrews 6, Dugdale 8, Quirke 7, James 6.

Exeter: Hodge 6, Feyi-Waboso 7, Slade 5, Rigg 6, Woodburn 6, Skinner 6, Townsend 5; Sio 6, Yeandle 6, Painter 6, Jenkins 6, Tshiunza 6, Vintcent 7, Capstick 5, Fisilau 6.

Replacements: Frost 6, Southworth 6, Street 6, Pearson 6, Dunne 6, Cairns 5, Haydon-Wood 7, Wimbush 6.

10' TRY! SALE (ROEBUCK) 5-0 EXETER! A line-bursting run from Curry draws three defenders and then gets the ball back to Ford who feeds Roebuck to run in.

27' TRY! SALE (COWAN-DICKIE) 15-0 EXETER! The hosts took full advantage of a line out five metres from the Chiefs line with Cowan-Dickie spinning away in sight of the line to touch down.

40' TRY! SALE (WARR) 20-0 EXETER! Warr takes a blow to the guts as he dives over, but what a lead for the hosts to take into the break. Roebuck gained a few yards then off loaded and Rodd did the same, allowing the scrum half to score another Sale try.

41' TRY! SALE (ROEBUCK) 25-0 EXETER! A line-bursting run from Curry draws three defenders and then gets the ball back to Ford who feeds Roebuck to run in.

49' TRY! SALE 29-5 EXETER (FEYI-WABOSO) At last the Chiefs get on the board a long pass out goes to Feyi Waboso and he shrugs off a couple of tackles before touching down.

54' TRY! SALE (QUIRKE) 34-5 EXETER! The replacement scrum half took a quick tap penalty with Exeter unable to tackle him and he slips on the ground, before recovering to dive over by the right post.

58' ROEBUCK DROPS A HAT-TRICK TRY! He ran onto Beaumont's long kick and, with Woodburn struggling with injury, Roebuck raced clear and kicked perfectly into the goal area but then muffed the simple part dropping the ball before touching down.

59' TRY! SALE (ROEBUCK) 39-5 EXETER! He didn't have to wait long for the try. Opoku-Fordjour with an initial burst and then the ball was spread wide left and Roebuck was there to run over the try-line and this time touch down.

79 - The change in points differential from the reverse fixture at Sandy Park