Sale Sharks 22-20 Saracens: Hosts make Gallagher Premiership title statement with tight win over champions

Sale Sharks manhandled Saracens to claim a statement win over the defending Gallagher Premiership champions in a therapeutic rematch of last season’s final, with the 22-20 final score belying the superiority of Alex Sanderson’s team.

The game saw strong winds sweeping in from the Manchester Ship Canal and it was characterised by errors by both teams - kicks out on the full and misplaced lineouts were commonplace.

Sale wasted several trips into the redzone in the first half but Sanderson’s half-time team talk clearly did the job, as his side scored 12 points in nine minutes to fire themselves into a lead they would never surrender.

Despite leading at the break, Saracens offered precious little in attack, with both tries coming off turnovers, and will remain adrift of the top of the Premiership table over Christmas.

Mark McCall is dealing with injuries aplenty and it showed in Salford.

Sale crumpled Saracens in the scrum with Mako Vunipola appearing lucky to avoid a yellow card in a chastening battle with Nick Schonert before young starlet Asher Opoku-Fordjour - who could feature for England in the coming Six Nations - was just as dominant over former Wasps team-mate Tom West.

Sanderson recalled his big guns after rotating in the Investec Champions Cup but while George Ford and Ben Curry were integral to the win, Manu Tuilagi departed early in the second half without a noticeable injury.

Billy Vunipola also suffered a stinger to his arm and didn’t make it past the hour mark, so England fans will be hoping for some good festive news on the injury front.

Any TV viewers wondering if the commentators were overhyping the elements were quickly corrected as three lineouts went awry in quick succession early on.

The pre-game narratives focused on Ford vs Farrell and rising star Olly Hartley facing a tough test opposite Manu Tuilagi, but this was a game won by the piano shifters rather than the players.

Sale’s lineout never really got going with Theo McFarland a constant pest in the air, while Curry's aggressive decision-making from penalties particularly in the first half meant his side left Saracen’s 22 empty-handed on a number of occasions.

But as has happened so often this season, the Sharks could only be denied for so long. Tom Roebuck’s thundering run to score five minutes into the second set the tone after Rob du Preez had failed to gift the wing a guaranteed try moments earlier, and Saracen’s attacking intent dried up more and more as the half went on.

After the heartbreaking loss at the hands of Saracens in last season’s final, this will certainly help Sale enjoy Christmas that little bit more as they hope to go one better in 2024.

Topped the tackle count and it was his bone-shuddering hit on Farrell that set up Roebuck’s game-changing score.

After missing out on last year’s final he appeared determined to make amends and his performance encapsulated everything good about Sale this time around.

As Saracens trailed for most of the second half, they could barely get a foothold in Sale territory and that was largely down to the defensive tone set by Curry.

Sale Sharks: Carpenter 6, Roebuck 7, R du Preez 6, Tuilagi 5, Reed 6, Ford 7, Warr 8, Harrison 8, Creevy 5, Schonert 8, Wiese 7, Hill 7, Van Rhyn 7, Curry 8, JL du Preez 7.  

Replacements: Cowan-Dickie 7,Opoku-Fordjour 8, Beaumont 5, Bedlow 7.  

Saracens: Goode 6, Cinti 5, Tompkins 5, Hartley 6, Maitland , Farrell 6, Van Zyl 7, M Vunipola 4, George 7, Clarey 4, Itoje 7, McFarland 7, Gonzalez 7, Christie 6, B Vuinipola 5

Replacements: Dan 7, West 4, Mulipola 4, Tizard 6, Knight 6, Simpson 7, Parton 6.

19’ - TRY! SALE 7-3 SARACENS (CREEVY): Saracens never looking like stopping the Sale rumble and Creevy is the grateful recipient after he finally hit an arrow on the opposition 22. Game on!

39’ - VUNIPOLA CONTINUES... GINGERLY: Billy Vunipola had the medical staff testing out his right arm, Ian Tempest feared it may be broken but he's ok to continue, just in time for Tempest to warn that Mako is on his final warnings for the penalty count. Watch this space...

40’ - TRY! SALE 7-10 SARACENS (VAN ZYL): Oh dear Sale. The Sharks attacked from halfway with the clock in the red but Ivan van Zyl read Ford's uninspired wrap-around and picks off his pass intended for Arron Reed to skate home untouched!

45’ - TRY! SALE 12-10 SARACENS (ROEBUCK): THAT'S how you respond! It just looked so easy from Sale, from a scrum on the right, Ford performed a rapid wrap-around to feed Roebuck who atoned for Du Preez's mistake to crash over carrying both Saracens centres with him. Ford's conversion slides wide though...

44’ - TUILAGI OFF: Tuilagi’s trotted off and it's a bit of a headscratcher - he didn't seem to be struggling as he jogged to the sideline and has taken his place on the bench without heading to the treatment room.

49’ - TRY! SALE 19-10 SARACENS (COWAN-DICKIE): The Sharks are feasting! Saracens were just blown away in the maul and Cowan-Dickie could pilot a maul to the line like that in his sleep. George Ford's conversion swings left late but hammers into the post and goes over. Saracens need to respond...

67’ - TRY! SALE 22-20 SARACENS (SIMPSON): Saracens are back! Beaumont couldn't hold the Sale lineout and after Saracens set up the ruck, Itoje ghosted straight through the middle before coolly feeding Simpson to bring the gap back down to two!

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