4 hours ago
7
The reservoir of talent at Bath runs deep. The reigning champions rested a raft of key men but ultimately had too much class for a Sale side whose season continues to unravel at a rate of knots.
Johann van Graan’s men conjured two tries in the final quarter, including when their 20-year-old hooker Kepu Tuipulotu sent a delightful kick down the left channel for fellow replacement Bernard van der Linde to saunter clear.
That 62nd-minute try was converted to level the scores at 26-26 before another substitute, Alfie Barbeary, went over to clinch victory with nine minutes remaining and leave his side just a point behind the leaders Northampton.
Bath have bigger fish to fry than a Sharks side who slipped to their ninth defeat from 12 Prem outings this season, with a Champions Cup last-16 home tie against Saracens looming on Saturday.
The Sale director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, fielded his strongest available team, with England internationals Tom Roebuck, George Ford, Bevan Rodd and Luke Cowan-Dickie back in the starting lineup after their recent involvement in the Six Nations.
Bath gave the likes of Finn Russell, Ben Spencer and Max Ojomoh the afternoon off with the European clash on the horizon, yet they still had much for Sale. Having thumped Saracens 62-15 in the Prem last week, this attritional victory in soggy windswept conditions on the outskirts of Salford was the perfect fillip for the rematch with Mark McCall’s side.
Sale are the only side to have made in the playoffs in each of the past three seasons but the current campaign has been a major let down. Still they fought gamely during an entertaining game and fought back well after falling behind to an 18th-minute try from hooker Dan Frost, who dived over from close range.
Bath then had the wing Joe Cokanasiga sent to the sinbin in the 26th minute for a deliberate knock-on and Sale soon capitalised when Rob du Preez’s exquisite long pass sent Tom O’Flaherty over in the left corner.
Sale scored again when Du Preez squeezed over for a try awarded after review by TMO Peter Allan, before Bath lost Frost to a yellow card for persistent infringements.
Sale soon punished, with Cowan-Dickie forcing his way over for his 44th Premiership career try and, although Ford failed to convert, the hosts went in at half-time with a 19-7 advantage.
Five minutes after the interval, and with Frost still in the sin bin, Bath scored their second when Hennessey went over from a lineout and Carreras converted. In the 50th minute, Ethan Staddon had Bath’s third try when he went over after good work from Louie Hennessey in the right corner.
Santiago Carreras missed the conversion to leave the scores finely poised at 19-19 but as the hour mark approached Roebuck took Raffi Quirke’s pass to cross in the right corner and Ford converted.
Bath regained the lead in the 62nd minute when Tuipulotu hacked downfield for Van der Linde to score a try which Carreras converted. Barbeary then won it for Bath with a try which capped a period of pressure that covered well over 20 phases.
