Sale secured a late penalty try to edge past Harlequins 28-24 at the CorpAcq Stadium, ending Quins’ three-match losing streak in the Premiership. Marcus Smith returned from a finger injury to touch down twice for Harlequins in the first quarter, giving them an early lead, but Sale fought back in the second half to claim victory.
Smith’s involvement lifted Harlequins after a heavy 48-0 loss to Gloucester last weekend. The England international combined well with George Furbank early on, setting up the first try for hooker Sam Riley in the third minute. Smith then added his own try following slick build-up play from Furbank. Sale responded with a try from Fijian winger Elia Canakaivata on his Premiership debut, keeping the score close.
Scrum-half Gus Warr narrowed the gap further just before halftime, but Harlequins maintained a 17-14 lead at the break, having had two tries ruled out by the television match official. Riley scored again early in the second half, earning Quins a bonus point for their third try.
Sale’s lock Ben Bamber crossed after a break from Nicky Smith and a crucial line-out steal from Courtney Lawes kept the Sharks in contention. The turning point came late in the game when Sale mounted a driving maul that pushed Harlequins back 30 metres. Riley, the Harlequins hooker, was penalised for pulling the ball down close to the try line, resulting in a penalty try awarded by referee Christophe Ridley and a sin-bin for Riley.
Sale’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson acknowledged his team had been chasing the game throughout but praised their resilience. “The fight’s in them clearly and it’s the second week they’ve found a way to win,” he said. “We’re still not where we want to be in terms of performance because that won’t be good enough against Glasgow next week. But if you can win playing badly, then that’s a good sign.”
Harlequins remain bottom of the Premiership table after their third consecutive loss. Head coach Jason Gilmore told BBC Radio Manchester he was proud of the team’s effort despite the defeat. “Fair play to Sale. They got themselves back into the game with their set-piece but I’m really proud of the boys’ efforts up here,” Gilmore said. “If you’re prepared to go to dark places for us and win those collisions, then you’re going to get selected. You can’t be up one week and then down the next week like we had last week. Performance will dictate the shirts.”
Sale’s win extends their winning streak against Harlequins to five matches across domestic and European competitions. They have now bounced back strongly after their opening weekend loss to Bristol, with back-to-back victories over Saracens and Quins.
Sale’s starting lineup featured captain van Rhyn, Bamber, Lawes, and debutant Canakaivata, while Harlequins fielded Smith, Furbank, Riley, and Kerrod among their starters. Tom Curry was absent from Sale’s squad due to illness.
Harlequins will look to turn their fortunes around in the Challenge Cup next week, hosting Vannes at home. Sale face Glasgow in their next Premiership fixture, with Sanderson urging his side to improve their performance.
According to Yahoo Sports.
