Sale Sharks opened their Premiership campaign with a nervy 20-15 win against Northampton Saints at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Tries from Tom Roebuck, Tom O’Flaherty, and Ethan Caine, accompanied by Rob Du Preez landing a penalty and conversion in the first half, managed to overturn a slow start and established a lead.
Saints will rue their inability to convert their late pressure as tries from Tommy Freeman and James Ramm cut the margin to five points put them in a position to win the game in the final minutes.
The visitors rushed into an early lead as Freeman expertly touched down for a try in the second minute, with Fin Smith scoring the conversion attempt.
This early shock sparked the Sharks into life, and just three minutes later Roebuck applied a sublime finish in the corner to execute a fine move, Du Preez nailed the conversion to bring the sides level.
O’Flaherty’s 12th-minute try from a training-ground move put the Sharks ahead for the first time, yet the missed conversion meant it would only give them a five-point lead.
The sides exchanged penalties before substitute Caine scored Sale’s third try, courtesy of a driving maul from a lineout, to give the Sharks a 20-10 lead at halftime.
There was little action in the second half until the 69th minute, when Saints winger Ramm touched the ball down to narrow the deficit to 20-15.
And Sharks withstood Saints pressure in the final minutes, particularly when they lost their captain Du Preez to a sin binning, to win this Premiership opener as they look for their first title in 17 years.
Score Count:
Sale Sharks: O’Flaherty – Try, Roebuck – Try, Caine – Try, Du Preez – con, pen,
Northampton Saints: Freeman – Try, Ramm – Try, Smith – con, pen
Feature image: Brendan McGilligan
Images: Brendan McGilligan
