Sale Sharks 39-25 Leicester Tigers: Hosts turn on the style with six tries in emphatic Gallagher Premiership victory

Sale Sharks recovered from early Leicester Tigers domination to record their biggest win of the season and succumb the visitors to their first away defeat.

Midway through the first half, the visitors had 25 phases in the Sale 22, with none occurring at the other end of the pitch, but critically Leicester only secured eight points from this period of dominance.

The Sharks had the lead at the break through tries from Dan du Preez and Bevan Rodd, with an Aaron Reed double after the break giving them a crucial buffer which Leicester did not look like breaching.

Sale’s front row got on the scoresheet through Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Luke Cowan-Dickie going over, while Freddie Steward and George Martin scored five-pointers to keep the score respectable.

The victory lifts Sale to touching distance from the top four, while Leicester missed out on the chance to join Bath Rugby and Bristol Bears at the top.

In few Premiership matches this season, perhaps apart from the five Newcastle defeats by an average of 26 points, can their have been a team in as much control of a game as Leicester were early in this match.

The difference from the way Sale punished the visitors when they had control of the match after the break was stark.

The Sharks’ defence on their own line was brutal and at times a bit cynical, but Leicester continued ploughing straight at the defence allowed the hosts to drag them into quagmire.

When they did provide a quality ball wide, Ollie Hassell-Collins hesitated and was able to be dragged down by the rushing Sale defence.

That said, similarly, had Leicester managed to get back into the match, fingers would have been pointed at Rob du Preez despite his fine performance in play, as his errant goalkicking until the last half hour kept Tigers in the game.

He certainly was not worthy of this award in the first 20 minutes as the scrum was a problem for the hosts, but from this point onwards when Sale dominated, he was a pivotal figure.

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson spoke before the game about wanting to see physical dominance from his team and this was epitomised by Cowan-Dickie. He got just rewards for his work in the trenches when he raced over for the try, which ended any Leicester hopes.

Sale: Carpenter 6, Roebuck 7, R Du Preez 7, James 7, Reed 7, Ford 8, Warr 7; Rodd 8, Cowan-Dickie 9, Opoku-Fordjour 8, Van Rhyn 7, Andrews 6, T Curry 6, B Curry 7, D Du Preez 7.

Replacements: McElroy 6, Harper 6, J-L Du Preez 6, Dugdale 6, Quirke 6, Addison 6.

Leicester: Steward 6, Watson 6, Perese 7, Kata 7, Hassell-Collins 6, Pollard 7, Poortvliet 6; Smith 6, Clare 6, Heyes 6, Martin 7, Manz 6, Liebenberg 7, Reffell 6, Cracknell 7.

Replacements: Vanes 6, Cronin 6, Cole 6, Ilione 6, Youngs, Shillcock 6, Wand 6.

12′TRY! SALE 0-5 LEICESTER (SMITH) They held out for so long with physical, desperate defending but eventually Smith just nudged the ball forward at the second attempt to go over the line.

23′ TRY! SALE (D DU PREEZ) 5-8 LEICESTER The first time they have been near the Leicester line and they make it pay. Roebuck did well to beat Steward in the air and James, close to going over, and had the presence of mind to flick wide to his No. 8, who dived over.

32′TRY! SALE (RODD) 10-11 LEICESTER They are getting bang for buck with their attacks. A good run from Cowan-Dickey and then Rodd picks up the ball from the ruck and dives over.

42′ TRY! SALE (REED) 17-11 LEICESTER They almost could have raffled it as three Sale men raced towards the line on the left hand side but it ended with Reed diving over in the corner.

47′ TRY! SALE (REED) 22-11 LEICESTER Sale hammer at the line with numerous phases and then Du Preez throws wide to Reed, who could have walked over the line.

51′ TRY! SALE (OPOKU-FORDJOUR) 27-11 LEICESTER The Sharks prop bursts through to go under the posts for his first score for Sharks. Not many wingers have that speed.

56′ TRY! SALE 29-16 LEICESTER (STEWARD) A great run out of defence from Holloway gets themselves out of danger under their own posts and then eventually the ball is played wide to Steward, who dives in the corner.

66′ TRY! SALE (COWAN-DICKIE) 34-18 LEICESTER The England prop has surely sealed the game. He just burst out of the maul and virtually ran over the try-line untouched.

79′ TRY! SALE 39-23 LEICESTER (MARTIN) The big lock powers over the line from close range.

• 7 – Sale have now won seven straight Premiership Rugby matches against Leicester.