Bath thump Sale Sharks to send them top of the Premiership

By Paul Rees

Bath ……………………………… 40pts

Tries: Muir 1, Reid 18, du Toit 26, Hill 45, Carr-Smith 64, van Wyk 78

Conversions: Russell 2, 19, 27, 46, 63

Sale ………………………………. 13pts

Tries: Addison 54

Conversions: R du Preez 55

Penalties: R du Preez 13, 24

Bath’s third home victory over Sale this year was far less stressful than the first two as the Sharks showed a generosity in defence that left their director of rugby Alex Sanderson lost for words.

Sale had spent the week dissecting their dismal display at Northampton the previous round where their sense of adventure was undermined by an inability to hold on to the ball and they conceded 40 points in the opening half.

First Half

Whatever was said must have been indigestible because within 65 seconds they were lining up under their own posts.

At least the try had not resulted from a turnover, but their defence was broken far too easily one phase after a lineout drive.

Sale defended the maul well, but when Bath’s two props, Beno Obano and Thomas du Toit, stood together in the midfield, deception did not appear to be on the menu.

Except it was, Obano making a dummy run that left a hole for wing Will Muir who was given a run to the line by du Toit’s deft inside pass.

Harper’s Struggles

Sale prop James Harper was among the defenders taken for a ride and it was a start that was to sum up his game.

He missed another tackle in the build-up to Bath’s second try, scored by Miles Reid, and was penalised three times in the scrum where he struggled against Obano.

Harper lasted half an hour before making way for Asher Opoku-Fordjour who within two minutes won a scrum penalty off Obano.

The first slate of England players on hybrid contracts did not include a tighthead prop but the Sale graduate continues to make an impression.

Both sides made multiple changes from the previous week with their England squad players elsewhere. Sale appeared more affected by the disruption than their hosts and they were uncharacteristically brittle, knocked back in the tackle either side of the ball.

Reid’s try, which followed Rob du Preez’s first penalty, exposed Sale’s fragility with Guy Pepper and Ted Hill making ground after a lineout.

Seven phases followed with Bath making progress each drive before the No.8 forced his way over.

Sale were offering little but kept in touch, on the scoreboard at least, with du Preez’s second penalty, but Bath’s smarter use of possession was highlighted by their third try when du Toit stepped away from Tadgh McElroy and finished from 15 metres.

Second Half

Sale were finished, 21-6 down at half-time and the half-time urging to be more physical was left in the dressing room as Hill, who must be close to an England call, charged through Jean-Luc du Preez and Ben Bamber for the bonus point.

Bamber was quickly hauled off. Few of the starting line-up had made a case to keep kept on, but when Will Butt was sent off on 50 minutes for tackling replacement lock Le Roux Roets, who did add some grunt, on his head, Sale started to play.

Five minutes later, Will Addison gathered Joe Carpenter’s chip to shrug off Tom de Glanville’s challenge and score smartly in the corner.

Quickly afterwards, they had the chance to cut the deficit to eight points when Rob du Preez created space for Luke James who had options either side.

His pass to Carpenter was read and picked off by Muir and that was the last of Sale. Finn Russell tried to send Muir in on the hour, but having been snared by Jean-Luc du Preez, he was hit high by replacement No.9 Nye Thomas who was sent off.

The rest was all Bath, tries from replacements Tom Carr-Smith and Francois van Wyk taking them to 40 points and leaving Sale with much to ponder on the long trip home.