Sale Sharks vs Northampton Saints

Saints have had it for two minutes, there's a penalty advantage, a chip goes in but Hutchinson is beaten to it. We're back for another penalty. More than two minutes of stoppage time has been played,

Penalty to Saints, five metres out, under the posts. The clock is in the red. It looks like Saints will tap it. 

With penalty advantage, Saints try and whip it wide but it's loose. We're back for the penalty. Smith dabs to five metres out. Huge chance. 30 seconds remain.

Ramm grubbers ahead and is tackled without the ball. Penalty to Saints. Smith kicks a penalty from the Sale ten metre line down into the 22. One last chance for Saints with two minutes remaining.

Munga and McParland are on for Moon and James.

Freeman races through open field and kicks ahead, Sale shank a kick into touch. Saints have a lineout, inside the Sale 22.

Sale spill 25 metres from the Saints line. After a few phases, James clears into the Sale half. Warr kicks deep to Hendy who gets it at the second attempt, Seabrook scoops up the loose ball. James hoofs down the middle of the park. Warr kicks forward and catches.

Lockett is on for Graham.

Smith misses the touchline conversion.

Robbie Smith is on for Langdon.

Sale are kicking well in behind Saints, who are forced to scramble once more. James clears well from the base of a ruck to Saints' ten metre line.

Smith goes crossfield with a looping, inviting kick, but there's just too much on it for Ramm to gather as he swings a boot and a hand at it, knocking on with the latter. Sale scrum, ten metres in from touch, 25 metres from their own goalline. 

Scrum penalty to Saints again! Smith kicks to his own ten metre line. Langdon throws to Coles and Graham trucks it up. The ball was ripped soon after, Sale are in possession 25 metres out. 

It's a bad minute for Saints as Ramm loses the ball on the Sale 22. Moments later, Warr puts in a brilliant chip in behind that Smith manages to scramble back and gather, but he is hauled over his own line in the process. Sale have a scrum, five metres out. Ten metres in from touch.

Millar-Mills bursts through a tackle and makes metres, Smith goes crossfield with a kick but it doesn't bounce well for Seabrook. Sale claim their own lineout ball and Warr clears up to his own ten metre line. 

Both captains are spoken to, play restarts with a Sale scrum and Saints turn the screw brilliantly, earning a penalty that Smith kicks to five metres out. A huge chance for Saints. Langdon takes  it from his jumper, pops to Freeman arriving on a big diagonal line, but it doesn't stick. Sale clear to their own 22.

Millar-Mills and Alex Waller are on for  Davison and Ethan Waller.

James chips ahead into the Sale 22. Sale scramble well and play stops with a 'coming together' from both teams. The TMO is having a check,

A first phase Saints attack ends with a tight pop being too hot to handle. Sale with a central scrum, go left and get into the Saints half but Freeman does well to force Roebuck into touch. Saints throw in, but it's not straight and loose. Sale are in possession on the Saints ten-metre line. Saints win a penalty as Sale go into the ruck via a side entry. Smith kicks to the Sale ten metre line.

The lineout throw is not straight, Saints have a scrum on the Sale ten metre line, 15 metres in from touch.

This time the scrum penalty goes Sale’s way. Du Preez clears up to near his own ten metre line. 

A neat setpiece move sees Pearson peel around the openside, but it’s Graham who is in possession peeling down the right. His offload is loose however, so Sale have a scrum, ten metres from their own goalline. 

The scrum penalty goes to Saints! Smith kicks to a metre inside the Sale 22. 

A big chance goes for Saints who broke from deep through Smith who saw space. Freeman advances down the right wing but a pop pass from James to Ethan Waller is forward. Scrum Sale, five metres inside their own half.

A brilliant high ball from James puts O'Flaherty under pressure as Ramm rags him into touch. Saints retain the lineout and have the ball on the Sale ten metre line. Smith launches a bomb, Carpenter takes it under pressure on his own 22.

Seabrook is on for Dingwall, who started the half but didn’t look comfortable and hobbles off.

Rob Du Preez pushes the conversion wide, Saints trail by ten.

A grubber in behind bounces kindly for O'Flaherty who steps in field and is tackled by Ramm, but it ends in a seatbelt tackle so a penalty is awarded. It goes to the corner, Sale drive...

Saints concede a penalty as Ramm takes a player out in the air. Two medics are straight out there on the pitch helping James, who is now back up to his feet. Rob Du Preez kicks the penalty from halfway down to 15 metres from the Saints goalline. 

James taps and goes straight through the middle and Ethan Waller and Davison go within inches of the line. But upon the recycle the pass is loose and Sale defensive pressure pushes Saints back onto their own ten metre line. Smith kicks in behind and now Sale have it, just outside their own 22. 

Hendy takes a high ball and breaks through a gap, making 40 metres but is well tackled. Roebuck cleans up a high ball and Quirke clears to touch, but out on the full, so Saints will throw into the lineout, 35 metres out. 

Saints have had the ball in the Sale 22 for a good minute but it ends with Langdon just failing to take in an offload and knocks on. But we're back for a penalty to Saints. On comes the tee.

Both Jean-Luc du Preez and Taylor are off injured, on comes Wiese and Caine. Play restarts with a scrum, central, 30 metres out, Saints' feed. 

A period of kick tennis, where Hendy took another high ball well, ends with Quirke kicking to touch. Dingwall makes a break and there's two Sale players down with injuries, Adam Leal stops proceedings with Saints in full flow. 

Smith pulls the penalty wide of the left post. 

Pearson picks and goes straight through a ruck and rampages into the Sale 22. With penalty advantage, Saints go wide but it's loose. So we're back for the penalty which is just outside the 22, 15 metres in from touch. Smith has the tee in his hand, he will have a shot at goal.

Sale are putting boot to ball often and Hendy is up to the task, twice taking the ball out of the air but Saints are playing a lot of rugby in their own half. There's some relief now as Sale go off their feet at the breakdown, Smith, from five metres inside his own half, kicks to the 22. 

Hendy does a fantastic job to race back and field a clever kick ahead from Sale. The hosts have the ball again, on the Saints' ten-metre line.

Rob du Preez's conversion is wide, Saints trail by five. 

Pearson is penalised for going off his feet at the ruck, Rob Du Preez kick to ten metres from the Saints line. 

Some excellent maul defence sees Sale's throw to the front of the lineout repelled and shoved into touch. This time Saints secure the ball and Smith clears up to the Sale 22 from inside his own ingoal area.

Freeman scoops up a loose ball and clears up to halfway, Sale have time to run it back and Carpenter goes diagonal with a kick into the 22. Saints throw into the lineout but concede a penalty. Rob Du Preez puts into the corner. Golden chance for Sale.

Saints have possession for the first minute as Smith goes crossfield but it sits up nicely for O'Flaherty to gather. Quirke clears and Hendy carries back. Saints have it on the Sale ten-metre line.