Sale moved to within one point of Zurich Premiership leaders Gloucester with a
routine victory over Bath at Heywood Road.
Steve Hanley was Bath's chief destroyer with two tries in the space of seven
first-half minutes and the visitors never recovered from the former England
winger's lethal finishing.
The Sharks had club captain Bryan Redpath back in action and the Scotland
scrum-half showed no sign of fatigue from the November internationals, dictating
play at number nine and keeping his side moving forward.
Jason Robinson made an appearance in the second half, overcoming the battering
he took during England's victory over South Africa on Saturday to help set up
Stuart Pinkerton's 54th-minute touch down.
Second row Dean Schofield crossed for the Sharks' fourth try while Mark Cueto
completed the rout in the dying moments.
Bath, who accounted for Sale 24-18 three weeks ago, offered very little and
would have lost by considerably more had Jos Baxendell remembered his kicking
boots - he made only two of his seven shots at goal.
The west country side touched down through James Scaysbrook and Simon Danielli
but it was a poor performance from Mike Foley's side who could find themselves
bottom of the table by the end of the weekend.
Their evening started badly - Baxendell slotted over an early penalty for Sale
and then injury-plagued fly-half Mike Catt was forced to pull up with a
recurrence of the hamstring problem which has been troubling him since the start
of the season.
Olly Barkley switched to outside-half witch Tom Voyce coming on at full-back,
and Barkley was called into action shortly after to stroke over a tricky
penalty.
Sale went on the rampage straight after however with Schofield charging down
the right wing, only for the burly second rower to knock-on close to the line.
But the Sharks kept up the pressure and were rewarded for their effort when
Baxendell was given the time and space to stab over a neat drop-goal.
Bath struck back with a try in the left corner through flanker Scaysbrook,
courtesy of some robust work from his fellow forwards who secured possession at
a line-out and pushed him over the line.
England centre Mike Tindall was given a talking to by referee Martin Fox after
he cut Sharks winger Hanley dead in his tracks with a high challenge, but
received no further punishment.
Tindall's clothes-line manoeuvre had little effect on Hanley though who raced
onto a well-timed pass from Vaughan Going in the 21st minute before dashing
round Bath's defence to cross in the left corner.
And the former England flyer was in action again seven minutes later with a
similarly-constructed try, but with Mark Cueto this time supplying the final
pass.
Baxendell missed both conversions - the second bounced off an upright - but he
made amends with another penalty as his side began to pile on the pressure.
Bath's cause had not been helped by the sinbinning of hooker Jonathan
Humphreys for a professional foul and they were finding it touch to combat
Sale's quickfire attacks.
The second quarter of the match was spent in Bath's territory and the visitors
only ventured out from their own territory in first-half injury time - to very
little effect.
They emerged fired-up for the second half but for all their endeavour they
only managed a Barkley penalty to cut Sale's lead to 19-13.
But Bath's brief resurgence stung the Sharks into action with openside Stuart
Pinkerton rounding off a promising move - involving Robinson - in the left
corner.
Schofield added Sale's fourth try in the 57th minute after a slashing run from
the impressive Vaughan Going to secure a bonus point, with Baxendell again
stroking over one of the conversions.
Bath winger Danielli crossed with eight minutes to go but a comeback back was
never on the cards for the visitors whose position near the foot of the Zurich
Premiership table is looking increasingly precarious.
Their evening was rounded-off by the 82nd minute sin-binning of skipper Danny
Grewcock for fighting and Cueto's try at the death.
Teams:
Sale: Going, Cueto, Harris, Bond, Hanley, Baxendell, Redpath,
Yates, Marais, Turner, C. Jones, Schofield, Davies, Pinkerton,
Anglesea.
Not Used: Roddham, Thorp, Stewart, Fullarton, Lund,
Wigglesworth, Robinson.
Tries: Hanley 2, Pinkerton, Schofield, Cueto.
Cons: Baxendell.
Pens: Baxendell 2.
Drop Goals: Baxendell.
Bath: Barkley, Danielli, Maggs, Tindall, Davy, Catt, Blake,
Barnes, Humphries, Mallett, Borthwick, Grewcock, Scaysbrook,
Beattie, N. Thomas.
Not Used: Cooper, Mears, Galasso, Voyce, Crockett, G. Thomas,
Lloyd.
Tries: Scaysbrook, Danielli.
Cons: Barkley.
Pens: Barkley 2.
Att: 5,700
Ref: Martin Fox (RFU).
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