Saints Stun Sale to Return to Top of Prem, but Playoffs Out of Reach. Northampton Saints staged a thrilling 11-try win over Sale Sharks to move back to the top of The Prem, with the 43-29 victory making them two points clear of Bath.
The match was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating chances but ultimately failing to capitalise until the final minutes. Saints made a blistering start, scoring three tries in quick succession as Sale struggled to gain any real foothold in the game.
However, the Sharks levelled the scores after half-time and took the lead just before the break when Tom O'Flaherty touched down under the posts. The match was reduced to 29-26 in favour of Sale late in the second-half but Saints ultimately proved too strong, with Henry Pollock securing a try from halfway to seal their victory.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson admitted that his team came up short in several key areas, including set-piece, scrum dominance and collisions at the breakdown. He also praised Northampton for sticking to their plan despite a chaotic game.
Northampton Saints' director of rugby Phil Dowson, however, was more effusive in his praise for his team. He noted that it had been a long time coming but now felt sweet as his side finally broke through to win at Sale's home stadium after a 2017 loss.
The defeat leaves Sale reeling from their fourth consecutive top-four finish slipping away and with all hopes of securing qualification appearing increasingly remote.
For Saints, the win was a major statement of intent ahead of the Six Nations break, which will see several of their squad members called away to represent England.
The match was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams creating chances but ultimately failing to capitalise until the final minutes. Saints made a blistering start, scoring three tries in quick succession as Sale struggled to gain any real foothold in the game.
However, the Sharks levelled the scores after half-time and took the lead just before the break when Tom O'Flaherty touched down under the posts. The match was reduced to 29-26 in favour of Sale late in the second-half but Saints ultimately proved too strong, with Henry Pollock securing a try from halfway to seal their victory.
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson admitted that his team came up short in several key areas, including set-piece, scrum dominance and collisions at the breakdown. He also praised Northampton for sticking to their plan despite a chaotic game.
Northampton Saints' director of rugby Phil Dowson, however, was more effusive in his praise for his team. He noted that it had been a long time coming but now felt sweet as his side finally broke through to win at Sale's home stadium after a 2017 loss.
The defeat leaves Sale reeling from their fourth consecutive top-four finish slipping away and with all hopes of securing qualification appearing increasingly remote.
For Saints, the win was a major statement of intent ahead of the Six Nations break, which will see several of their squad members called away to represent England.
did they not train enough or something?! Alex Sanderson's gotta do some serious soul-searching 'cause set-piece is a major issue rn...
! Their 11-try win over Sale was literally insane 
! I was on the edge of my seat the whole game, cheering them on from start to finish 
. Phil Dowson's comments about sticking to their plan were so true 
, and I'm glad they finally got that W 
. Meanwhile, Sale is looking a bit worried 
... 4th consecutive top-four finish slipping away? Yikes! 
Guess they'll just have to keep working hard 
. The Prem just got more exciting 
, can't wait for the next match! 
! Northampton Saints totally dominated Sale Sharks and it's amazing to see them back at the top of The Prem 
! But seriously, their scrum dominance was on point and they really showed up in the end 
.
. And with the Six Nations break coming up, it'll be interesting to see how this momentum carries over for Saints while their squad members are away representing England 
. The team's determination and hard work paid off in this thrilling match, it was a sweet victory after all those years of disappointment! 
... i feel for them, it's not easy to keep pushing when things aren't going your way 
. Northampton Saints on the other hand are just riding high right now 
their team is so united and they really know how to execute their game plan 
️! can't wait to see what they do next 
they've been struggling for ages but it looks like they're finally back on track. but i have to wonder what happened at sale? they had all the momentum going into the second half, but seemed to lose control of the game at some point. was it just a mental block or did they get caught out by saints' tactics? 
and speaking of tactics, how's their set-piece looking? they were struggling in that department before the match, so was it all sorted out today? 
. Their team effort was insane, with like, 11 tries scored? That's a record-breaking number for the Prem! 
. I'm loving how Saints' coach Phil Dowson is riding high on this win though 
. Their squad's got so much potential, and now that they've finally broken through, watch out for them in the playoffs! 
i feel bad for sale tho, they had a great run but now it's looking like playoffs are out of reach 
. anyway, congrats to northampton on that epic win! 
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they totally deserved that win after being so close to losing it in the second-half 
and I gotta say, I'm loving Phil Dowson's attitude right now - he's always been a top coach and this win is just proof of that 
. It's so great to see Northampton back at the top and I'm loving their team spirit right now 
. On the other hand, congrats to Saints, they finally broke through at The Hall 
alex sanderson is gonna have to go back to the drawing board, but congrats to northampton for finally breaking through at sale's home turf! that's a huge statement of intent before the six nations break 
️ i hope saints can keep this momentum going, they're looking strong right now