Rawlings inspires eight-try success for Sale

SALE earned a comfortable victory against Blaydon to take them into the top two for the first time this season.

The home side flew out of the blocks, scoring three converted tries in the first 15 minutes to pull the game from Blaydon’s reach.

Tom Ailes capitalised on an early Blaydon knock-on to kick-start the flurry of tries as Callum Owen and Scott Rawlings went over.

Blaydon did show some promise on the 30th minute, applying pressure to a previously untested Sale back line, resulting in a try for Liam Wright.

Sale finished the half as they started, spraying the ball cross-field for Tom Ailes to run down an empty wing.

The second half began closer than the first when Blaydon broke away after eight minutes to pin Sale five metres from their line.

The hosts withstood the pressure for five minutes until a line-out unlocked an opportunity for Keith Laughlin to register the half ’s first try.

Sale pressed forward after the wake-up call and were rewarded with two converted tries from Rawlings, his second of the game, and Anthony Bingham that pushed the game out of Blaydon’s reach at 49-12.

A try from Christian Taylor on the 72nd went unconverted but Chris Johnson had already accumulated 14 points and Sale had done more than enough for a comfortable victory.