A radiant autumn afternoon in Bath is far from an unpleasant experience, unless, of course, you happen to be the opposition. Sale journeyed to the South West with a fervent desire to vindicate themselves following last weekend's drubbing by Northampton, but they were outclassed by Bath's seamless and robust approach in both attack and defence.
Johann van Graan's steadily improving squad has now ascended to the summit, at least until Saracens take on Leicester, thanks in part to the impressive South African prop Thomas du Toit, who not only set up a try but also scored one himself. Will Muir and the captain, Miles Reid, also touched down in the first half, before Ted Hill, Tom Carr-Smith, and Francois van Wyk completed what turned into another comprehensive victory for Sale.
Will Butt of Bath and Sale's Nye Thomas were both sent off in the second half for dangerous tackles, but neither incident significantly altered the outcome. Alex Sanderson made seven changes to his lineup after the 47-17 thrashing at the hands of Saints, with Tadgh McElroy starting at hooker after joining from Ulster just five days prior. The home coach, Van Graan, welcomed Muir back to the wing after his injury and made seven changes of his own.
Both clubs lost five players to Steve Borthwick's England squad, potentially leveling the playing field. However, the presence of Scotland's fly-half, Finn Russell, for the hosts, while Sale missed the services of George Ford, proved crucial. Sanderson had declared the Sharks were "extremely motivated" to make amends for last week's defeat, but their start could not have been more inauspicious. Du Toit, soon to join South Africa for their autumn campaign, showcased his skills with a sublime offload to Muir, who sprinted over the line after just 65 seconds, concluding a well-executed lineout move.
A deft pick-and-go by Guy Pepper brought Bath within striking distance, and Reid powered over after 20 minutes, followed by Du Toit, who scored with a clever dummy and swift finish under the posts. McElroy, making his debut, found himself trailing in the wake of Du Toit's effortless acceleration.
James Harper, Sale's prop, conceded three scrum penalties within the first 15 minutes and was replaced by Sanderson after half an hour, with Asher Opoku-Fordjour coming on. Sale managed to steady their scrum but still trailed 21-6 at halftime, with two penalties by their captain Rob du Preez being their only points.
Bath's dominance continued five minutes into the second half when Hill pierced through Sale's defence to secure the bonus point. Butt was then shown a red card by referee Karl Dickson for a dangerous tackle on Le Roux Roets. Bath's prop, Beno Obano, was replaced by Van Graan after 55 minutes to a warm reception following his 150th game for the club, but Sale sensed an opportunity.
Joe Carpenter's exquisite grubber kick to the corner was finished off by a diving Will Addison, and Du Preez converted an excellent kick from the touchline. A crucial interception by Muir halted another threatening Sale attack, and Thomas, a Sale substitute, was dismissed for a high tackle that resulted in head contact as Muir dived for the corner.
From the ensuing play, Orlando Bailey's clever work in the opposite corner allowed Tom Carr-Smith to score his first Premiership try, effectively extinguishing any hopes of a Sale comeback. Van Wyk then crashed over for Bath's sixth try, further amplifying Sanderson's concerns about his team's capitulation. Bath, however, are proving to be the real deal and are only getting better with time.
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