Sale had taken the lead - Saints failed to roll away in the tackle and Charlie Hodgson continued his fine form from last weekend to clip over the penalty from just inside halfway.

Also like last weekend though, the Saints were enjoying some early dominance at scrum-time, bulldozing through Sale on three occasions inside the first ten minutes.

On the third occasion, referee David Rose awarded the Saints a second penalty and with Myler opting for touch, the lineout was slowly but surely driven towards the Sale line. The visitors looked to have killed the opportunity but Dickson took a quick tap and darted over. Confirmation of the scrum-half's grounding came from the TMO and Myler converted after a positive Saints decision.

After a lengthy break for a worrying looking knock to Sale's Dwayne Peel, the Saints went to touch with another penalty. The Sharks were seemingly caught cold after the restart as Paul Diggin scythed through following athletic lineout work from Tom Wood and fired a wide pass to Ashton, who celebrated a free run to the line with a trademark swallow dive.

The Saints forwards were bullying their counterparts, this time trucking a huge maul right up the middle of the park and Myler again went for touch with a kickable penalty chance. Another penalty to touch set up another driving maul and when Neil Briggs killed the move cynically, the hooker saw yellow for his troubles.

This time the Saints predictably opted for the scrum and inevitably the seven man pack of the Sharks had no answer, Rose awarding a penalty try which Myler duly converted.

The Saints fly half then provided a cutting swerve in midfield to set the Saints away but Ashton couldn't get a pass away to men inside him and the rapid counter came to a halt and Sale responded in impressive fashion.

Moving the ball quickly towards the Saints line, Hodgson fired a wide pass and on the end of the move was Marc Jones, stretching over despite the last gasp efforts of Ben Foden.

Ironically, 14-man Sale were enjoying their best spell of the game so far but Saints turnover ball and a thump forward from Myler almost released the speeding Ashton and Diggin as a comically bouncing ball evaded Sharks defenders.

The visitors survived however and a further foray into Saints territory provided a further three points from Hodgson as the Saints put hands into a ruck. The Sharks ten would then pull his side within three with another penalty following a yellow card for Roger Wilson - adjudged to have gone in at the side.

Thanks to a stumble from Kyler Tonetti though, the Saints had another lineout in the Sale 22 as the centre was swarmed after stumbling in midfield. It was then Sale's turn to go in at the side and when the lineout maul splintered, Mujati barrelled over for the Saints bonus score.

Despite heading in with a try-bonus already under their belts, the Saints still had plenty to do to close out a game where both sides were taking their chances well.

Still playing with 14 men the Saints made a promising start to the second-half but the Sharks quickly built some pressure of their own and Wame Lewaravu dotted down. Off the ball however, the touch judge had seen an altercation involving Neil Briggs and with the Sale hooker was shown a second yellow, which equalled red as Hodgson converted.

Play restarted with a penalty to the Saints rather than the usual restart and a direct move presented Myler with a simple three-pointer to end an odd passage of play to say the least.

Saints looked to turn the screw and another flying counter created a fifth try for a second consecutive week, Foden dashing through to put the Saints within 5 metres. Myler stumbled with the line at his mercy but it hardly mattered as the Saints recycled to send Tom Wood over for a first try with the club.

It was certainly an entertaining game of rugby, but one which the Saints would be looking to put to bed as quickly as possible, especially as Sale yielded another Hodgson penalty from a threatening attack.

Sale were still struggling to cope with the Saints forwards however and with a 5-metre lineout looking ominous for the Sharks, a second penalty try came for the Saints as the maul was dragged down.

For the first time on the afternoon, play finally slowed down for five or so minutes, but came racing back up to speed with the introduction of Bruce Reihana. The Kiwi had only been on the field for some 30 seconds when Shane Geraghty and Foden combined to release him and the Saints had a seventh.

It could have been eight minutes after too, Brett Sharman's pass was just behind Roger Wilson and Stu Commins had an effort ruled out for a double movement.

Sale couldn't hold off a tidal wave of pressure however and when Phil Dowson took Saints past the half-century with the game's tenth try, it also became the highest scoring game of the Premiership season so far and the Saints left for stadium:mk on a high.

Aviva Man of the Match:
Roger Wilson

Timeline:
3mins SALE Pen Hodgson 0-3
9mins SAINTS Try Dickson Con 7-3
14mins SAINTS Try Ashton 12-3
18mins SALE Yellow Briggs
19mins SAINTS Try Penalty Con Myler 19-3
25mins SALE Try Jones Con Hodgson 19-10
30mins SALE Pen Hodgson 19-13
33mins SAINTS Yellow Wilson
34mins SALE Pen Hodgson 19-16
38mins SAINTS Try Mujati Con Myler 26-16
HALF-TIME SAINTS 26 SALE 16
45mins SALE Try Lewaravu 26-21
45mins SALE Yellow + Red Briggs
48mins SAINTS Pen Myler 29-21
51mins SAINTS Try Wood Con Myler 36-21
57mins SALE Pen Hodgson 36-24
62mins SAINTS Try Penalty Con Myler 43-24
69mins SAINTS Try Reihana 48-24
78mins SAINTS Try Dowson 53-24
FULL-TIME SAINTS 53 SALE 24