Match Centre: Gallagher Premiership: Sale Sharks 41-5 Exeter Chiefs

Sale Sharks 41-5 Exeter Chiefs, Salford Community Stadium

Tom Roebuck starred with a hat-trick as Sale Sharks defeated Exeter Chiefs 41-5 in the latest round of the Gallagher Premiership at Salford Community Stadium on Sunday.

The win has kept the play-off hopes alive for Sale Sharks as they moved to eighth place in the table while Exeter Chiefs are at sixth place after the defeat.

The Chiefs had an early setback as Ross Vintcent left the field injured in the opening minute and shortly they strayed off side with Sale winning a penalty which George Ford could not convert in the 3rd minute.

Sale responded back in the 9th minute when Roebuck skipped in to dive over for his opening try and Ford followed with a conversion and a penalty goal to make it 10-0.

As Vintcent returned back, the home side extended the lead further with Luke Cowan-Dickie going over the line at the back of a maul drive. Ford kicked the conversion to make it 17-0. The 34th minute saw Exeter reduced to 14 players temporarily with Hodge sin-binned for a knock on and Sale made use of the numerical advantage with scrum-half Gus Warr collecting a quick pass to dot down.

Ford's conversion went wide despite which Sale dominated the opening half scoring 22 unanswered points.

The hosts extended the momentum into the second half as Roebuck went past Dafydd Jenkins and Stu Townsend to score to secure the bonus point before Immanuel Feyi-Waboso went over for the Chiefs after good work from Skinner and Henry Slade.

While Exeter failed to make any further impact, Raffi Quirke went over for Sale in the 54th minute after a quick tap penalty and Roebuck had a chance to complete his hat-trick as Josh Beaumont sent a perfectly weighed pass only for the winger to miss. Nevertheless, Roebuck immediately made amends as Rob du Preez set him for the final try as Sale completed a 36 point victory.

Team line up:

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, R du Preez, Tuilagi, O'Flaherty; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Harper, Wiese, Beaumont, Van Rhyn, B Curry (capt), J-L du Preez.??

Reserves: Taylor, Harrison, Opoku-Fordjour, Bamber, Andrews, Dugdale, Quirke, James.

Exeter: Hodge; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Rigg, Woodburn; Skinner, Townsend; Sio, Yeandle, Painter, Jenkins (capt), Tshiunza, Vintcent, Capstick, Fisilau.

Reserves: Frost, Southworth, Street, Pearson, Dunne, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush