NOT TOO many saw this coming. Gloucester may well have a lengthy injury list but there have been few finer performances by Sale at the AJ Bell Stadium as Johan Ackermann's ‘revolution' became the Sharks' retribution.
For years the Cherry and Whites tended to have an allergic reaction when they smelt the Greater Manchester air, suffering defeat after defeat at both Edgeley Park and the North Westerners' most recent home.
That all changed 18 months ago and the West Countrymen went on to record successive victories in Salford, but Steve Diamond's men clearly took umbrage, putting away Ackermann's side in emphatic fashion on Friday night.
At times, the hosts were magnificent. Faf de Klerk, as has been the case this season, was often the architect while Byron McGuigan and Denny Solomona, who scored five tries between them, displayed their finishing prowess.
The challenge, as director of rugby Diamond pointed out, will be for the Sharks to produce this vibrancy on a regular basis.
He said: “What I've stressed to the lads is why not have a crack at it this year? I know many coaches say, ‘it's a three-year plan'. Rubbish, let's have a crack.
“The big thing for me is having our feet on the ground and beating Harlequins next week with a good workmanlike performance.”
Overcoming Quins at the Stoop is something the Cherry and Whites failed to manage three weeks ago and on this performance it is easy to see why.
‘Embarrassment' tends to be the watchword when one-sided affairs occur and the Gloucester players will be on the end of that term after conceding 57 points, the club's worst defensive display in the Premiership.
Only Ed Slater and Henry Trinder stood up when all around them were crumbling. Three interception tries – two in the final 11 minutes – told of a side who surrendered when de Klerk touched down for the bonuspoint score.
Despite Solomona's magnificent early try, the Cherry and Whites did show promise in the opening quarter after getting on the board via the boot of Billy Burns.
Willi Heinz's 60-metre break then put the visitors on the front foot but that was about that for the West Countrymen's attacking threat.
Further de Klerk brilliance gave the Sharks their second touchdown when McGuigan latched onto his superb kick through before Billy Twelvetrees' poor pass helped the wing cross again.
AJ MacGinty extended the advantage at the break from the tee but the best was yet to come from Sharks.
Twelvetrees was yellow carded for pulling back Tom Curry, who would later go off with a suspected broken arm, and Sale went over three more times while the centre was in the sin-bin.
That included a try for Wallaby James O'Connor on his debut and a second for Solomona before Sam James and McGuigan secured the hosts' biggest Premiership victory since 2004, despite John Afoa's consolation effort.
