Sale Sharks…………………………37
Tries: Curry 3, Dugdale 7, Reed 40+2, 64; Quirke 59
Conversions: Ford 4, 40+4
Penalties: Ford 16, 44
Harlequins………………………….31
Tries: Lynagh 24, 35; Murley 49, Beard 57, Northmore 79
Conversions: Smith 50, 58; Evans 80
Sale Sharks boosted their top four aspirations with a hard-fought victory against Harlequins, whose own play-off challenge was dented.
The hosts led by 15 points in as many minutes, as Tom Curry and Sam Dugdale scored with George Ford slotting five points from the tee.
Quins hit back with a brace from Louis Lynagh, but Sale opened up the same advantage again as Arron Reed struck and Ford repeated his goalkicking effort.
And though Quins cut the gap to one point with tries from Cadan Murley and Oscar Beard, Raffi Quirke seized upon a chargedown to sink the visitors before Reed clinched his double to seal the victory.
A stunning run from Murley fed Luke Northmore for a second Quins bonus point, but they slipped out of the top four following Bristol’s huge win against Newcastle.
Sale needed less than three minutes to get ahead as Curry flopped over the line from the back of a maul, with the field position earned by an excellent Joe Carpenter break.
With Quins looking jaded from last weekend’s dramatic win at Bordeaux Sale were carving the Londoners apart at every opportunity, and it wasn’t long before Dugdale crashed over in the corner.
The openside flanker then made an excellent turnover, one of three he managed in the match, and with Quins’ attack faltering and defence still looking soft, Ford knocked over more points following a burst through the centres from Manu Tuilagi.
Now three scores behind the visitors desperately needed a quick response. They were made to work hard to get on the scoresheet having been camped in Sale’s territory, but Quins’ patience eventually paid off as Lynagh finished well in the corner.
The Londoners were beginning to dominate possession in the lead up to half-time and Sale were being hampered by deteriorating discipline, displayed by the eight penalties they conceded in the first period.
It also meant Quins were being handed too many opportunities, and with a penalty advantage Tyrone Green was able to jink through and feed Lynagh for his second.
Having had next to no ball for 20 minutes, Sharks supporters might have wanted the full-time whistle to come after Lynagh’s second, but a late twist restored their two-score advantage after a well worked lineout set Luke Cowan-Dickie free.
Once the hooker had broken into the 22, Sale maintained possession and moved the visitors’ defence around well before Curry found Reed, who finished brilliantly in the corner through the tackles of Will Porter and Andre Esterhuizen.
It was a hammer blow for next month’s Champions Cup semi-finalists, and they would require a similar response to the one they had provided in the first-half if they were to come away from the AJ Bell Stadium with a boost to their hopes of also making the last four in the Premiership.
Sale started the better in the second period though, and Ford pushed the lead back out to 15 with another penalty four minutes after the break.
But once again once as the hosts reached a three-score lead Harlequins sparked into life, and after Murley didn’t manage to catch up with a chip through from Green he got his score a few minutes later on the end of a pass from Chandler Cunningham-South, with the flanker being put through a hole by Marcus Smith.
Smith finally nailed his first conversion, and with the wind on their backs Quins were growing in confidence with increased ruck speed and more yardage with the carries they were making.
After some punchy forward carries, Danny Care fed Beard for their bonus-point score, and Smith’s second conversion brought the visitors to within a point of Sale.
But Sharks soon had a bonus point of their own, as Andre Esterhuizen was charged down by new replacement Tom O’Flaherty straight from the resulting restart and Raffi Quirke scooped up the opportunity.
It swung momentum back in favour of the hosts, with Reed completing his double after fetching a quality long pass from Rob Du Preez, and though Murley superbly set up Northmore Quins’ final attack fell short and Sale held on for a crucial victory.
SALE SHARKS: Carpenter, Roebuck, R du Preez, Tuilagi, Reed, Ford, Warr; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Harper, Wiese, Beaumont, Curry, Dugdale, JL du Preez
Replacements: Taylor, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Andrews, Quirke, James, O’Flaherty
HARLEQUINS: Green, Lynagh, Beard, Esterhuizen, Murley, Smith, Porter; Marler, Riley, Lewis, Herbst, Lewies, Cunningham-South, W Evans, Dombrandt
Replacements: Walker, Baxter, Kerrod, Hammond, Lawday, Care, J Evans, Northmore
Referee: Tom Foley
For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.
