By COLIN NEWBOULT

Sale 26pts
Tries: Solomona 32, McGuigan 40, Evans 51 Conversion: Addison 33 Penalties: Addison 7, 11, 75

Newcastle 24pts
Tries: Socino 2, Goneva 27, 56, 61
Conversions: Hodgson 3, Takulua 62
IT WAS symptomatic of Sale’s season that this game was as close as it was.
In most facets they were the better team, with Newcastle having to rely on the brilliance of Vereniki Goneva, the home side’s recklessness and the fortuitous bounce of a rugby ball to accrue their points.
Perhaps the only surprise was that the Sharks, given their previous struggles in closing out...