By PAUL REES

Northampton ................... 38pts
Tries: James 23, Freeman 48, Proctor 56, Penalty 65, Braley 73, Dingwall 76
Conversions: Smith 24, 49; Hutchinson 74

Sale .................................... 34pts
Tries: Reed 8, Curry 17, R du Preez 21, Ashman 40, Dugdale 62
Conversions: R du Preez 18, 22, 63
Penalties: R du Preez 44
Manu Tuilagi’s hopes of playing in this year’s Six Nations lasted 13 minutes. The centre, overlooked for the first two rounds and released back to Sale last week, set out to make his mark from the outset but got carried away.
After making a typically tac...