Sale hang on to beat Exeter and reach play-offs
Sale secured third place in the Premiership and a play-off semi-final at Leicester with a 30-26 victory over Exeter in a tense encounter at Sandy Park.Paul Brown Bampoe's 20th-minute try briefly put the home side in front before Sale's superb attack kicked into gear as Rekeiti Maasi-White and Bevan Rodd went under the posts to give Sharks a 20-5 lead at the break. Josh Hodge pulled a try back for the hosts soon after the restart and, when Will Haydon-Wood cut the gap to four points Sale looked worried. Dan Frost had a fourth Exeter try disallowed for a knock on with 18 minutes left, but former Chiefs favourite Luke Cowan Dickie forced his way over with 12 minutes left to seal victory for Sale. Richard Capstick got a fourth try for Exeter with three minutes left to set up a tense finish as the hosts ended the season with two losing bonus points.The win ensured Sale finish third in the table after second-placed Leicester beat bottom side Newcastle at home - ensuring a trip to Welford Road for the Sharks in next week's semi-finals.
Exeter: Hodge; Brown-Bampoe, Slade, Tua, Wyatt; Skinner, Townsend; Blose, Yeandle (capt), Iosefa-Scott, Tuima, Molina, Vermeulen, Capstick, RootsReplacements: Frost, Sio, Roots, Tshiunza, Moloney, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, VintcentYellow card: Roots (39)Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White Reed; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, van Rhyn, Hill, J-L du Preez, B Curry (capt), D du Preez.Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, Dugdale, Warr, James, Wills.Yellow card: Ma'asi-White (47), Warr (74)Referee: Christophe Ridley
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