Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Sale Sharks win battle of the north to heap more misery on Newcastle Falcons

Sale Sharks claimed bragging rights in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby’s battle of the north on derby weekend, beating Newcastle Falcons 40-22 at the AJ Bell Stadium.

The game was finely poised with less than a score separating the sides with three minutes to play before two late tries by the hosts put the result beyond doubt and moved Sale to the top of the table.

It was a sixth defeat in a row for Newcastle, who remain rooted to the bottom of the Premiership.

It started so brightly for the Falcons when Louis Brown crossed the line in the corner just three minutes into his Premiership debut.

But the lead last less than 10 minutes as Arron Reed drew Sale level.

A try for Callum Chick put the visitors back in front but three scores in nine minutes gave the Sharks a healthy 16-point advantage at the break.

Ben Curry scored the first before Rob du Preez went under the posts and Reed grabbed his second.

With a mountain to climb, Newcastle threatened a second-half comeback when Bryan Byrne and Iwan Stephens touched down within three minutes of each other, but Sale underlined their title credentials to eventually see off their rivals.

Newcastle's Oliver Spencer was sent to the sin bin and Sale made their man advantage count as Sam James and Tom Roebuck put the gloss on a hard-fought victory.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media