In the early stages of this year's Premiership, the Sale Sharks haven't quite lived up to the high standards we've come to expect from them in recent seasons. However, as we near the midpoint of the season, one constant remains from Alex Sanderson's tenure: their playoff hopes will likely hinge on their home form. Since Sanderson's appointment in January 2021, the Sharks have only lost five Premiership games at home, a remarkable statistic that could be crucial this season given their inconsistent performances on the road. After eight games, Sale has lost all four of their away matches, including two heavy defeats against Northampton and Bath before the international break. But their home form remains stellar, with this hard-fought win against Leicester not only cutting the gap to the top four to just four points but also securing their fourth consecutive win at the Salford Community Stadium. The Sharks are a different team at home, and here, a brilliant second-half performance set the stage for the Tigers' first away defeat of the season.
Leading by just a point at halftime, Sale scored 17 points within the first 10 minutes after the restart, proving decisive. They head into the Champions Cup with a performance that was much more reminiscent of the Sharks we know. 'It's really rewarding to see the fruits of our labor come to fruition today when we needed it,' Sanderson said. Leicester remains in third place but will likely be frustrated to leave without even a losing bonus point. For most of the opening quarter, they were the superior side, scoring through a Nicky Smith try and a penalty from Handré Pollard, making it 8-0. By that stage, the Tigers had a 7-1 penalty count in their favor and were frequently in Sale's 22.
So for the Sharks to only be eight points behind at that time would have likely been seen as a win for the hosts, who eventually took control when Dan du Preez marked his 100th Sale appearance with a try. Pollard replied with a second penalty, but as halftime approached, it was the hosts who were gaining momentum. Despite struggling in the scrum for most of the first half, Luke Cowan-Dickie's lineout was proving effective, and after another precise delivery, Bevan Rodd forced his way over to give the hosts a one-point lead at the break. That was despite a 10-4 penalty count and relentless Leicester pressure; it felt like if Sale stepped up, they could pull away. That proved to be the case in emphatic fashion, with a blistering passage of play after halftime being the catalyst for the Sharks' latest home success.
'We were painting a bit of a bad picture in that first half and we knew we had the things to fix it,' Sanderson said post-match. 'We were a bit braver in attack and on transition, we leaned into our maul well and when you're doing that, it opens up elsewhere.' A wonderful long-range try extended Sale's lead as they went from their own 22 to the try-line in just a few phases, with Arron Reed scoring. The winger then scored again after George Ford and Rob du Preez found him in open space to secure a bonus point before the 50th minute. It got even better when Asher Opoku-Fordjour scored his first senior try, having made his England debut the previous week, as the forward spotted a gap in the Leicester defense to surge over and produce a huge roar from the home crowd, who sensed a crucial victory was within reach.
Freddie Steward's long-range try after an Olly Cracknell interception raised hopes of a losing bonus point, but despite George Martin's late try bringing them closer, they couldn't secure the other try they needed, especially after Cowan-Dickie marked another outstanding display with a try of his own. We may not have seen the best of Sale this season, but this performance will certainly have the Premiership's leading pack on alert as Christmas approaches.
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