Northampton's Premiership play-off hopes remain alive after an impressive
victory over Sale Sharks.
The Saints, who scored three tries to Sale's two, bagged four crucial points
to keep them in the running with Leicester and Leeds for a top four finish and a
place in the semi-finals.
Sale had looked dangerous from the start and capable of causing an upset at
Franklin's Gardens.
Vaughan Going touched down on the right wing after just four minutes but the
referee disallowed the score after Sharks' forward Stuart Pinkerton was
penalised for stamping.
Steve Hanley then tried to make amends on the left-wing but Northampton's
Oriol Ripol did enough to prevent the try.
The home side then turned the tables, pushing the Sharks into a defensive
position and after several efforts to break through their lines, skipper John
Leslie touched down.
Earlier, lock Mark Connors looked like he had done enough to score, but two
scrums later scrum-half Matt Dawson switched the line of attack and when England
hooker Steve Thompson was tackled on the try-line, he popped the ball up to
Leslie. Bruce Reihana converted.
Minutes later the Saints had established a 14-point lead. This time it was the
turn of Ben Cohen who was fed the ball out wide from another scrum to score.
Reihana again converted to leave the Sharks empty-handed at the break.
Fly-half Jos Baxendell broke Sale's duck with a 49th-minute penalty and hooker
Andy Titterrell opened up the game when he broke loose to score after a dubious-looking forward pass. Baxendell converted to leave Northampton with just a
four-point cushion.
But the Saints immediately responded and their efforts were rewarded when
young fly-half James Brooks offloaded to Leslie who charged unchallenged under
the post.
Reihana converted but the Sharks, chasing second place in the Premiership
table, remained in touch with a Graeme Bond converted try after 67 minutes.
But the sin-binning of Phil Davies proved costly for the visitors and with
England's Matt Dawson converting the penalty, Northampton earned themselves
their 11th win of the season.
Teams:
Northampton: Beal, Ripol, Reihana, Leslie, Cohen, Brooks,
Dawson, Morris, Thompson, Stewart, Lord, Connors, Fox,
Pountney, Blowers.
Replacments: Miles, Budgen, Hunter, Seely, Vass, Tucker, Jorgensen.
Tries: Leslie 2, Cohen.
Cons: Reihana 3.
Pens: Reihana, Dawson.
Sale: Robinson, Going, Harris, Bond, Hanley, Baxendell,
Redpath, Yates, Titterell, Stewart, Schofield, Fullarton,
Anglesea, Pinkerton, C. Jones.
Replacements: Marais, Thorp, Turner, Davies, Lund, Elliott, Walshe.
Tries: Titterell, Bond.
Cons: Baxendell 2.
Pens: Baxendell.
Att: 9,202
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).
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