Sale Sharks come from behind to snatch win away from Bath

Despite only leading for seven minutes of the 80 Sale Sharks downed second place Bath to extend their lead at the top of the Gallagher Premiership.

The Salford side trailed 9-5 at half-time due to three penalty kicks by Bath’s Finn Russell but came back in the second-half with two penalty kicks from George Ford to seal their sixth win of their opening seven games.

Bath done well during the match to hold off the league leaders on many occasions but didn’t threaten the hosts line enough to earn the win.

Bath were the first team to get points on the board when Russell kicked an easy penalty from in front of the posts in the fifth minute after Sale failed to roll away at the ruck.

The game opened up in the following five minutes with Ruaridh McConnochie and Tom Roebuck both making half-breaks to set up attacking chances for their sides but neither outfit could make the most of their wingers hard work.

Sale looked certain to score as the game approached the 20 minute mark but Bath showed great resilience to keep out their northern opponents from short range and win a penalty to clear their lines.

Two minutes later it was Bath’s turn to break into the opposition’s 22 thanks to brilliant interplay between Max Ojomoh and Tom De Glanville.  Like Sale they didn’t get over the line but they won a penalty, which Russell coolly converted to extend Bath’s lead.

Sale responded brilliantly getting over the whitewash through Hill in the 26^th minute.  The lock dove over from a driving maul to cut Bath’s lead to one point.  George Ford couldn’t add the conversion from wide.

Bath and Russell converted their third penalty of the night after Sale were caught offside just inside their own half.  This meant the visitors led 9-5 going into the interval in Salford.

Sale dominated the ball early on in the second period and finally made this count in the 49^th minute when Ben Curry, who was everywhere on the night, won a turnover penalty in the Bath’s 22, which Ford converted to cut the Bath lead to one point.

The hosts continued to dominate their opponents, getting momentum in Bath’s 22 on multiple occasions in the next twenty minutes but every time failed to come away with anything.

Sale finally went ahead in the match in the 73^rd minute with another Ford penalty from outside the 22 putting them into a two point lead.

Bath tried to muster a late response but were unable to get into Sale’s 22 and ultimately lost their third game of the season while Sale go five points clear at the top of the Gallagher Premiership table.

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