George Ford's perfect kicking display gives Sale huge play-off boost

Telegraph

16-05-2025

Sale Sharks 41 Bristol Bears 27
Sale turned on the power to overwhelm Bristol and leapfrog them into third place in the Premiership.
In what was a crucial game for both clubs in the play-off race, the Sharks put themselves in pole position to qualify for the third season in succession with a ferocious performance at the Salford Community Stadium.
A perfect seven-out-of-seven night from the tee from the sublime George Ford – the man of the match – made the difference as the two sides scored five tries apiece.
But Bristol's last two late on were mere consolations as Sale's maximum points kept their destiny in their own hands heading into the last round of the regular season.
The Bears, who for so long were candidates for a home semi-final, are now left relying on other results to make the last four, despite earning a try-scoring bonus point late on.
Sale made light of the absence of their two British and Irish Lions Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tom Curry to outmuscle the Bears in a manner that must have delighted Alex Sanderson, the director of rugby .
Mind you, it helps when you can replace one Curry with another. Ben, back at No 7, led the Sharks superbly.
It was his straightening of the line in attack which helped No 8 Dan du Preez step inside Benhard Janse van Rensburg to go over for the game's first try in the 23rd minute, with Bristol full-back Rich Lane down injured.
Dan du Preez gets on the end of a well worked @SaleSharksRugby attack 👏
The home side have a double digit lead after 20 minutes. #GallagherPrem #SALvBRI pic.twitter.com/FgxwO8DOhx
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 16, 2025
Lane's involvement for the evening ended there, which led to a reshuffle at the back for Bristol, Gabriel Ibitoye switching to full-back. Four minutes later, though, the Bears hit back with scrum-half Harry Randall sniping in between Sale props Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Bevan Rodd to make something out of nothing and score.
"Just what @BristolBears needed!"
It''s a bit of solo brilliance for the in-form Harry Randall 🙌
Watch live on TNT Sports & Discovery+ pic.twitter.com/UHEuGfb3xj
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 16, 2025
The rest of the half, though, was one-way traffic as Sale put Bristol in a vice and refused to release them.
The visitors held the Sharks up over the line with some desperate defence, but four minutes before the break Cowan-Dickie's stand-in Tadhg McElroy rumbled over from close range after some powerful interplay from the home pack.
Sale relinquished a 10-point half-time lead against Leicester last weekend, but there was no repeat from 20-5 up this time.
Pat Lam, the Bristol director of rugby, changed three of his outgunned pack at the interval with Ellis Genge one of those introduced off the bench. The move initially worked, as Viliame Mata was mauled over for Bristol's second try in the 49th minute.
But former England second row Jonny Hill, outstanding in what was his final home game before his summer departure to Racing 92, put Sale back on track with a quickly taken tap penalty in the 54th minute, taking it himself and smashing his way over to score.
Jonny Hill salutes the crowd after scoring a try in his final league home game for Sale 🫡
A HUGE carry and finish 💪
Watch live on TNT Sports & Discovery+ pic.twitter.com/c5IN5rhbib
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 16, 2025
Replacement Siva Naulago went over in the right-hand corner for Bristol for a converted try to cut the deficit to 10 as the hour mark approached. But Rekeiti Ma'asi White made the game safe for Sale in the 64th minute, hammering his way over from Hill's line-out ball for the bonus-point try.
"That is one of the best scores off a lineout you will see!"
Ben Kay is seriously impressed with this set-piece move which gives Sale Sharks a try bonus point 🎯
Watch live on TNT Sports & Discovery+ pic.twitter.com/BEqHPLTVQX
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) May 16, 2025
Raffi Quirke, the live-wire scrum-half replacement, bolted over for a fifth try and, even though Harry Byrne and Kalaveti Ravouvou grabbed two late tries for Bristol, the night belonged to the Sharks.
Match details
Scores 3-0 Ford pen, 8-0 D du Preez try, 10-0 Ford con, 10-5 Randall try, 13-5 Ford pen, 18-5 McElroy try, 20-5 Ford con, 20-10 Mata try, 25-10 Hill try, 27-10 Ford con, 27-15 Naulago try, 27-17 MacGinty con, 32-17 Ma'asi-White try, 34-17 Ford con 39-17 Quirke try, 41-17 Ford con, 41-22 Byrne try, 41-27 Ravouvou try.
Sale Sharks J Carpenter; T Roebuck, R du Preez, R Ma'asi-White (S Bedlow 71), T O'Flaherty; G Ford, G Warr (R Quike 58); B Rodd (S McIntyre 62), T McElroy, A Opoku-Fordjour (W John 62), E van Rhyn, J Hill (B Bamber 71), JL du Preez, B Curry (c), D du Preez (S Dugdale 62).
Bristol Bears R Lane (S Naulago 23), K Ravouvou, B Janse van Rensburg, J Williams, G Ibitoye; AJ MacGinty (H Byrne 70), H Randall (K Marmion 62); J Woolmore (E Genge 41), G Oghre (W Capon 74), G Kloska (M Lahiff 41), J Caulfield (J Dun 41), J Batley (J Owen 58), S Grondona, F Harding (c), V Mata.