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- Sale survived early loss of Manu Tuilagi to upset Saracens on final day of season
- Director of rugby Alex Sanderson admitted surprise at his side’s turnaround
- Saracens will now take on table-topping Northampton at the end of the month
Alex Sanderson, the Sale director of rugby, admitted that even he was stunned by his club’s turnaround in the last few months as Sharks shocked Saracens to make the play-offs.
Sale, who were seventh in January, survived the early loss of Manu Tuilagi to upset Saracens and set up a trip to Bath in the Premiership semi-finals. Tuilagi went off after 17 minutes with a hamstring injury and the club were gloomy about his hopes of making the last four clash on June 1, but Sanderson will give him time.
Saracens, favourites to land a home draw, will now head to table-topping Northampton on May 31, after George Ford ensured this would be a last game at the StoneX Stadium for Owen Farrell and the Vunipolas who are moving on in the summer.
Sale did to Saracens what the six-time champions have done to the rest of Europe for years by hitting them hard in defence and taking them apart with their kicking.
Ford was the key and Sanderson revealed the fly-half was ranting after the match to make sure his side don’t now just settle for a top-four spot.
Sale completed a turnaround after early season struggles to make the Premiership play-offs despite the early loss of Manu Tuilagi (centre)
The Sharks carry plenty of momentum into the play-offs, where they will meet Bath
Director of rugby Alex Sanderson that even he was stunned by his club’s transformation
Sanderson said: ‘He was quite aggressive afterwards, he was saying, ‘We are not celebrating this, we are going for Bath’.
‘It has not really dawned on me. From where we were post-Six Nations to making the play-offs is a Herculean effort from the lads.
‘George has been phenomenal. You meet players, and there are only a couple I have met, and Owen Farrell is one, with this type of influence and how he can take a group and turn a group.’
On Tuilagi, Sanderson added: ‘He has definitely pulled his hamstring, we just don’t know how badly. He is a quick healer, we know that, and we have got two weeks to put Humpty Dumpty back together again and will give him as long as we can.’
Saracens were never at the races, 20-3 down with half an hour to go and a late try from prop Marco Riccioni being just a consolation.
Saracens will have to settle for a trip to table-toppers Northampton, while Sale will take on Bath
Director of rugby Mark McCall said: ‘We were poor and played unenthused if we are honest, and that is a difficult thing to say with what was at stake.
‘We had the safety net of already being there, and it looked like their want was bigger, and if that is the case that is disappointing.’
Farrell added: ‘We didn’t feel we gave the best of ourselves today but we will dust ourselves off.’
Tom Roebuck’s first half score gave Sale the lead and it could have been more at half-time but hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie had a score chalked off. Centre Rob du Preez scored the gamebreaker off the back of a defensive error from Alex Lewington and Saracens did not have enough to fight back.
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