Sale Sharks outclass Newcastle Falcons in Kingston Park clash

Newcastle Falcons 15-39 Sale Sharks, Kingston Park

The Newcastle Falcons endured a tough night at Kingston Park, falling to a clinical and dominant Sale Sharks side who ran out 39-15 winners in their Gallagher Premiership Derby Weekend fixture.

From the opening whistle, Sale asserted their authority in both attack and defense, capitalizing on Newcastle’s errors and building a commanding lead that the hosts were never able to recover from.

The tone was set early when Tom Roebuck crossed for the game's first try in just the 5th minute, finishing a sharp move out wide as Sale looked to make an immediate statement.

The Falcons, still adjusting to the tempo, were breached again in the 12th minute when Rob du Preez found space through the middle and touched down under the posts. George Ford converted both tries to make it 14-0, and the early scoreboard pressure began to weigh on the Falcons.

The home side managed to respond in the 20th minute with a well-taken try by Alex Hearle, who finished off a patient attacking phase. The conversion was missed, but the score was reduced to 14-5, offering a glimmer of hope for the Falcons.

However, Sale’s physical dominance up front and their precise kicking game continued to stretch Newcastle’s defense. In the 28th minute, flanker Ben Curry added Sale’s third try, again converted by Ford, before the fly-half slotted a penalty to make it 24-5.

Another penalty from Ford in the 38th minute pushed the halftime lead to 27-5, capping off a ruthless first half for the visitors.

The Falcons came out after the break with renewed purpose, and it showed in the 48th minute, when Sam Stuart exploited a gap around the fringes of the ruck to score their second try.

Brett Connon added the extras, closing the gap to 27-12, and briefly bringing the home crowd back into the contest. Yet, despite that promising start to the second half, it was Sale who maintained the upper hand in both territory and possession.

The Sharks responded strongly, and in the 60th minute, Tom O'Flaherty finished off a well-worked team move, diving over in the corner. Ford remained immaculate with the boot, converting the try to restore a significant advantage at 34-12.

Although Connon managed to slot a penalty in the 68th minute to add three more points for the Falcons, the gap remained daunting at 34-15.

As the match entered its closing stages, Sale refused to ease up. In the 75th minute, Joe Carpenter scored the visitors' fifth try of the evening, taking advantage of a tired Falcons defensive line. This brought the score to 39-15, which would remain unchanged at the final whistle.