Battling Bath recorded their first Premiership win since mid-September but the
match was marred by a potentially serious neck injury to Sale forward Andy
Whittle.
Referee Ashley Rowden held the game up for seven minutes while lock Whittle,
hurt in a tackle, received medical attention.
He was then stretchered away into a waiting ambulance and taken immediately to
hospital.
Sale recovered their composure and concentration well after such a blow,
shading the try count 4-3 in an entertaining encounter.
But Jon Preston's goalkicking proved the difference, Bath's former New Zealand
All Black booting 19 points through five penalties and two conversions.
The home side, striving to stave off a third successive league defeat, trailed
early on, but tries from prop John Mallett, skipper Ben Clarke and fly-half
Shaun Berne broke Sale's resistance.
Sale captain Guy Manson-Bishop touched down as the match entered injury time,
ensuring a frantic finish, yet Bath clung on, although Niki Little missed a
last-kick drop goal that would have stolen it.
Ex-Wigan and Great Britain rugby league star Jason Robinson, back at the
Recreation Ground following his half-season union stint with Bath four years
ago, made a significant contribution inside six minutes.
He rifled out a long pass to hooker Bernard Jackman, giving Sale momentum and
setting up several phases of possession which ended with fullback Vaughan Going
diving over between the posts.
Little added the simple conversion, and Bath were still recovering from that
early setback when Robinson would undoubtedly have increased their misery if
Jackman had found him on a clear overlap.
Preston's first penalty reduced the arrears, but Sale conjured up a
scintillating try on 25 minutes that left Bath defenders clutching thin air.
Full-back Vaughan Going burst out of the starting blocks deep inside his own
half, leaving Jeremy Guscott - starting his first club match for more than 18
months - trailing in his slipstream, and supporting wing Matt Moore finished
things off.
Two further Preston penalties - the latter after Sale flanker Pete Anglesea
was sin-binned for a technical offence - brought Bath back into contention
before they suddenly hit over-drive.
Having not scored a try since Berne's Heineken Cup touchdown at Newport on
October 13, they posted two in five minutes.
Mallett claimed the first following powerful thrusts from Berne and impressive
lock Mark Gabey, then Clarke was on hand after young full-back Tom Voyce did
some sterling approach work.
From 14-3 adrift, Bath's 18-point blitz looked to have secured a comfortable
interval lead, yet Going pounced for his second touchdown in the fifth minute of
injury time, ending a breathless opening period that produced 40 points.
Whittle's injury subdued the crowd, and Sale went back in front through a
Little penalty immediately after the match resumed.
Flanker Richard Wilks replaced the unfortunate Whittle, while Bath's first
change saw lock Steve Borthwick - on England bench duty against Australia
yesterday - take over from a bloodied Martin Haag.
It required an opportunist Berne try to wipe out Sale's narrow advantage, the
Australian charging down and then catching Little's attempted clearance.
Preston's conversion, and an exchange of penalties with Little, ensured that
Bath kept their noses in front, but it took some frantic defending to deny a
lively Sale outfit.
Teams
Bath: Voyce, Thirlby, Maggs, Guscott, A. Adebayo, Berne,
Preston, Barnes, Long, Mallett, Haag, Gabey, Gardiner, Clarke, N. Thomas.
Replacements: Williams for Preston (80).
Not Used: Mears, Emms, Cox, Bellinger, Borthwick, Lloyd.
Tries: Mallett, Clarke, Berne.
Cons: Preston 2.
Pens: Preston 5.
Sale: Going, Moore, Baxendell, Harris, Robinson,
Little,Hatley, Black, Jackman, Bell, Whittle, Manson-Bishop, Anglesea,
Lines, Perelini.
Replacements: Davidson for Going (65), Shaw for Baxendell (58),
Winstanley for Jackman (70), Wilks for Whittle (51),
Baldwin for Manson-Bishop (80).
Not Used: Knight, Rusk.
Sin Bin: Anglesea (29).
Tries: Going 2, Moore, Manson-Bishop.
Cons: Little 2, Davidson.
Pens: Little 2.
Att: 7,348.
Ref: Ashley Rowden (Berkshire (RFU)).
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