Sale and Bath joined Northampton and Saracens in the Premiership play-offs after a final round yesterday full of twists and shocks.
Sale secured their place in the top four a few weeks after languishing eighth in the table. They bagged their first ever victory at StoneX Stadium to stun Saracens who needed to win to secure a home tie.
Instead, champions Saracens will travel to Northampton on Friday, May 31. Saints finished top of the table, level on points with Bath but having won a game more, while Sale will be at The Rec the following afternoon.
“I did not see that coming,” said Saracens’ director Mark McCall when asked to reflect on a first home defeat to Sale since 2005. “It was a really disappointing performance.
“It is not easy to say this, but I thought we were out-enthused by Sale. Maybe as coaches we got stuff wrong in the build-up, but all credit to Sale.
“We tend to respond well to setbacks. It is one of our greatest strengths and we have to come back very strongly from this.”
Saracens were doubled by Northampton in the regular season, losing 41-30 at Franklin’s Gardens at the end of March on the same weekend that Sale shipped 42 points at Bath.
It was Sale’s fourth successive Premiership defeat and looked to have blown a hole in their playoff charge, but they responded with five straight victories to come third.
“It is all about finishing strongly,” said the Sale director of rugby, Alex Sanderson. “I do not pray as much as I should but I do believe in collective will.
“Everyone at the club is pulling in the same direction. We are striving to spend more time together because we get on with each other and want to make memories together.
“We came down to Saracens with a real expectation to win, not through arrogance but belief, and I am immensely proud of the players.”
Sale face being without their England centre Manu Tuilagi, above, who is leaving the club at the end of the season to join Bayonne.
He suffered a hamstring injury against Saracens and would be replaced by another player who is taking his leave from the club, Sam James.
Five sides were chasing the final two places. Bath needed a point against much-changed Northampton and bagged six, Exeter missed out after losing at Leicester while a bonus point win at Harlequins was not enough for Bristol, who finished two points behind Saracens in fifth.
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