Sale edge out Bath with late try to remain on course for Premiership play-offs
Sale Sharks stayed on course for a Premiership play-off place after beating Bath 24-20 at the Recreation Ground.
Alex Sanderson’s team moved second in the table, and six points from their remaining three league games should be enough to guarantee a top-four finish.
Bath, though, slipped to a club-record sixth Premiership home defeat this season as Sale claimed their first away victory in the fixture since 2014.
The Sharks again saw indiscipline surface as three second-half yellow cards made it a table-topping 21 for them in the Premiership this season.
But Bath captain Charlie Ewels was yellow-carded during the closing minutes, and Sale pounced to seal a bonus-point triumph.
First-half tries from lock JP du Preez, wing Byron McGuigan and full-back Simon Hammersley helped Sale tie a high-class opening half, and it was replacement hooker Curtis Langdon’s 77th-minute try that edged them home.
Fly-half AJ MacGinty kicked two conversions – he also missed three shots at goal – while his opposite number Rhys Priestland landed four from four, slotting two penalties and two conversions.
Centre Cameron Redpath and flanker Josh Bayliss touched down for the home side, with Priestland’s second-half penalty not enough on the night as Bath keep fighting for Heineken Champions Cup qualification.
Bath handed a first Premiership start to hooker Jacques du Toit, who replaced a suspended Tom Dunn, while Sam Underhill and Zach Mercer gained back-row recalls, with Priestland and Will Chudley the preferred half-backs.
England star Tom Curry captained Sale, and his brother Ben was named in Sharks’ match-day 23 for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury five months ago, taking a spot among the replacements.
Bath, eager to bounce back from a comprehensive home defeat against Premiership leaders Bristol last time out, made an impressive start.
British and Irish Lions back Anthony Watson made a powerful run from deep, then full-back Tom de Glanville surged clear and sent Redpath over for a try, which was allowed despite De Glanville’s pass appearing to be forward.
Priestland converted, but Sale drew level just four minutes later after superb handling at pace by backs and forwards ended with an unmarked Du Preez touching down, before MacGinty added the extras.
MacGinty missed a penalty chance that would have put Sale ahead, and Bath struck again to end an entertaining opening quarter in front.
Centre Max Clark proved the attacking catalyst, brushing off weak Sale defence and then providing a one-handed pass that Bayliss gathered before sprinting clear and touching down.
Priestland’s conversion reopened a seven-point advantage, but Bath suffered an injury blow as half-time approached when Du Toit was carried off, meaning a Premiership debut for Tom Doughty.
Sale looked to have done enough for a second try four minutes before the break, but number eight Jean-Luc du Preez knocked on as he crossed Bath’s line.
They struck from their next attack, though, when Bath ran out of defensive numbers and McGuigan applied a simple finish, only for MacGinty to then miss a second successive kick at goal.
And Sale then drew level after superb work by flanker Cobus Wiese, whose pass found Hammersley, with the try being awarded after repeated checks initially for a forward pass, then whether or not the full-back had his foot in touch, and finally, if he had cleanly grounded the ball.
MacGinty again failed to land the conversion, and an opening half of five tries ended level at 17-17.
Bath struck first in the second period, with Priestland booting a 55th-minute penalty – his fourth successful strike that underlined MacGinty’s inaccuracy off the tee.
Wiese was then sin-binned for a technical infringement, and replacement scrum-half Raphael Quirke quickly followed him as the visitors were reduced to 13 men for an eight-minute spell.
But Sale weathered that particular storm, keeping Bath out, before Ewels was sin-binned five minutes from time and Langdon’s converted try secured a dramatic win, despite McGuigan seeing yellow.
Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
1 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
4 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to comments