Falcons still winless after Sharks attack
SALE Sharks strengthened their Premiership play-off ambitions with a 35-14 victory over winless Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park.
Tries from Ben Curry and Joe Carpenter put the visitors in command before Guy Pepper reduced the deficit to a converted try.
A Tim Cardall score levelled the game to give Newcastle fans hope of a rare win, but Luke Cowan-dickie swiftly dotted down to restore the Sharks’ lead. And there was no way back for the North East side, who were denied a losing bonus point after tries from Tom Roebuck and Rob du Preez in the final 10 minutes.
Sale had registered bonus-point wins in their last two Premiership games and knew another here would take them to within two points of fourth-placed Bristol Bears.
In contrast, their opponents suffered an 85-14 thrashing at Ashton Gate last week and were desperate to end their long winless streak in the competition, having not tasted success since March 2023.
Both sides struggled to take control in the early stages, regularly kicking for territory, while stoppages for injury also broke up the play, with Elliott Obatoyinbo withdrawn for a head injury assessment.
The hosts began to put Sale under extended pressure, winning multiple penalties in succession approaching the 20-minute mark, but they could not break through stubborn defensive resistance.
And as has happened so often this season, the opposition punished them at the other end – Curry breaking from a maul to run in from the right after 26 minutes.
Carpenter doubled the advantage three minutes later after good work from Manu Tuilagi – the ever-reliable George Ford added the extras on both occasions to leave Falcons facing a mountain to climb again.
They began in perfect fashion before the break as Pepper grabbed a try from a maul to bring the longsuffering crowd – the highest home attendance since December 2018 – to their feet. And they continued to reel Sale in after the interval, finally levelling when Cardall rounded off a spell of huge pressure with a pickand-go left of the posts.
Their frailties at the back came to the fore once again, however, as Cowan-dickie powered through to dot down and restore the lead.
Roebuck added insult to injury when he sidestepped a challenge to go over from close range, giving them the crucial bonus point and denying Newcastle a losing one of their own.
Three consecutive league wins were secured when Du Preez finished off a good move for Sale’s fifth try of the day three minutes from time.