Match action - starts
SALE tried to bulldoze Leicester aside in a ferocious assault fired up by a try from Manu Tuilagi on his return to Welford Road.
But the struggling Tigers finished up giving Tuilagi’s title chasers a scare in the way they fought back in the second half.
And it was only a lastminute penalty from AJ MacGinty, who collected 18 points, which stopped Leicester at least gaining a losing bonus point for their efforts.
Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond admitted his team “just about handled” Leicester’s comeback.
“I was pleased how we played in the those last five minutes when they came at us,” he added.
Tuilagi is unlikely to score a more poignant try than this one after his shock move in the summer.
He walked out in a pay dispute but came crashing back in the 27th minute by brushing through England colleague George Ford to score under the posts.
On the evidence of his smooth 60 minutes he is quickly fitting into Sale’s squad who are basing their challenge on trying to match Exeter for power.
Sale led 17-9 at the interval and looked set for a comfortable win when adding a third try early in the second half.
However, Leicester produced their best performance under new head coach Steve Borthwick to give Sale the hurry up thanks to tries by replacement hooker Jake Kerr and full-back Freddie Steward.
Leicester paid for a poor start when they needed an early try to shake confident Sale.
Unfortunately for the home team, they missed a great chance when Sale stopped an attack two metres short triggered by Ford’s cross kick.
The ball looked to have been grabbed by Nemani Nadolo only for the Fijian to lose possession in Luke James’ lunging tackle.
Leicester might have still snatched a try but centre Jaco Taute could not cling onto the rebound.
The key player in the half proved to be Faf de Klerk who opened the scoring through a ninth-minute drop-goal and was at the heart of Sale’s play.
Leicester replied through the first of three first-half penalty goals from Ford only for De Klerk to orchestrate two tries.
Both came from intense pressure which brought a score for MacGinty in the 17th minute followed by Tuilagi ten minutes later.
Tuilagi, after a quiet opening, seized his chance off De Klerk’s pass by
bursting through the tackle of Ford. He was immediately surrounded by Sale’s joyous substitutes who had been warming up behind the goals but he did not over celebrate.
Sale’s biggest blunder was how they conceded penalties after the restarts for the tries. Ford took advantage both times and a third from the fly half cut Sale’s lead to 20-9 at the break.
The visitors commanded the opening exchanges after the interval and looked to be well set when Jono Ross finished off for the third try five minutes into the half.
Leicester regrouped and were driven on by the inspiring work of back row replacement Jordan Taufua.
A try by No.8 Hanro Liebenberg gave them further heart and Ford’s fourth penalty cut the lead to 19-27.
Sale kept ahead through a long-range penalty from De Klerk and a fourth try, from Denny Solomona, meant they were always ahead despite those Leicester’s tries from Kerr and Steward. MacGinty’s lastminute penalty denied Tigers a deserved point.