Leicester got the win they needed at soggy Welford Road to move through to the semi-finals of the EDF Energy Cup.

Johne Murphy, Dan Hipkiss, Tom Varndell and Tom Croft got the tries that ended Sale's interest in the competition.

Holders Leicester knew victory would guarantee a place in the last four and welcomed back Martin Corry along with fellow World Cup finalists Hipkiss and Ben Kay.

Varndell kept his place on the wing after last week's try double at Leeds took him to 50 tries in just 74 appearances.

Sale made the trip boosted by their first away win for 13 months at Worcester seven days earlier.

That made it four straight wins for Philippe Saint-Andre's side and he had Magnus Lund back at flanker for the must-win game after he had been sidelined for the previous four matches.

New Zealand centre Luke McAlister was looking to build on an impressive debut at Worcester where he created the opening try and kicked all three of his penalties.

Sale had to win and hope Bath beat Cardiff to go through to the semi-finals, but had lost the previous three meetings between the sides and had not won at Leicester for more than four years.

The game started in torrential rain and, as expected, a kicking game unfolded.

Leicester applied the early pressure - Andy Goode launching several up-and-unders to put Sale under pressure and then supplying the fourth-minute pass that enabled Geordan Murphy to send Johne Murphy over in the right-hand corner.

Goode added the extras.

McAlister kicked a penalty on 11 minutes to trim the gap to four points.

Leicester remained in charge, however, and should have stretched their lead on 26 minutes, but Goode's kick towards the left corner was too strong for Johne Murphy after Ollie Smith's break had created the opening.

Goode made amends with a 38th-minute penalty after more pressure that made it 10-3 at the break.

Goode was off-target with a drop-goal six minutes after the restart, but Leicester only had to wait three more minutes for another score.

Sam Vesty went on a jinking 30-metre run through the midfield that took Leicester into Sale's 22 and the home side found a way through after several phases when Goode supplied the pass for Hipkiss to charge over between the posts from close range.

Goode's conversion made it 17-3, but Sale were back in the game on 54 minutes when an overlap was created on the left wing and McAlister dived over.

His conversion sailed just wide.

Leicester thought they had a third try on 64 minutes, but the celebrations were cut short when referee Chris White ruled that Goode's pass that sent Varndell over was forward.

Leicester went 12 points clear on 67 minutes when Goode's penalty went in off the post.

He was then involved in the try that finally settled the game. Goode intercepted McAlister's chip on his own 22, got to the halfway line and then off-loaded for Varndell to race away from the defence to score. Goode added the extras.

Croft grabbed another interception try in injury time that Goode could not convert.