Match Centre: Scarlets 14-57 Sale Sharks
Josh Beaumont was one of the try-scorer for Sale Sharks
©PA
Scarlets 14-57 Sale Sharks, Parc y Scarlets
Scorecard
Sale Sharks have progress to the quarter-final of the Heineken Champions Cup for the first time since 2006 as they defeated Scarlets 57-14 at Parc y Scarlets.
The result also means Sale Sharks will now face La Rochelle in the knock out encounter to be played at Stade Marcel Deflandre on 10th April.
Aj MacGinty started the proceedings for Sale Sharks with a third minute penalty kick and they further extended the lead in the 18th minute when Akker van der Merwe powered his way over after capitalising on a mistake from Scarlets. MacGinty kicked the conversion and followed with a penalty in the 27th minute after Bevan Rodd wont the turnover for the visitors as they raced to a 0-13 lead.
Sale extended their domination as van der Merwe completed his second at the back of a driving maul in the 32nd minute and MacGinty with further five points ensured the Premiership side went into the break with 23 unanswered points.
There was no stopping MacGinty as he continued his free flow in the second half as pressure from Faf de Klerk on the home side saw the fly-half kick forward on bounce and dive over the ball at the posts and his conversion made the scoreline 0-30.
Scarlets made a brief comeback through Ken Owens, who touched down at the back of a driving maul in the 48th minute but it hardly concerned Sale as they responded through Marland Yarde's try in the 53rd minute after de Klerk and MacGinty laid the platform as the scoreline became 7-37.
The spotlight was once again on MacGinty as he stunned the Scarlets defenders before releasing Josh Beaumont for a touchdown in the 64th minute and also sealed the game for Sale Sharks as he kicked a conversion and backed it up with two more three-pointers making it 7-50.
Jac Morgan with four minutes left in the game scored a consolation try for the Welsh regional side but Raffi Quirke replied back in the 78th minute as Sale went on to complete a dominating 43-point victory to reach the quarter-final of the tournament.
Team line up:
Scarlets: Halfpenny; L Williams, Hughes, J Williams, McNicholl; D Jones, G Davies; W Jones, Owens, Scholtz, Ball, Lousi, Shingler, J Morgan, Kalamafoni.
Reserves: Elias, S Thomas, Sebastian, Rawlins, Thomson, Blacker, Costelow, J Davies.
Sale: Hammersley; McGuigan, S James, Janse van Rensburg, Yarde; AJ MacGinty, De Klerk; Rodd, Van der Merwe, John, Wiese, Beaumont, JL du Preez, T Curry, D du Preez.
Reserves: Langdon, Harrison, Oosthuizen, Phillips, Neild, Quirke, R du Preez, L James.
