European Rugby Challenge Cup: Sale Sharks 17-14 Bordeaux

Bordeaux had lost all their three previous European Challenge Cup pool games

Sale lost their 100% European Challenge Cup record as they went down at home to Bordeaux after playing for most of the second half with 14 men.

Home prop Tom Bristow's 44th-minute red card for use of the forearm came with the score locked at 7-7.

Sale scored first with a try from Luke James, converted by Robert du Preez.

French hooker Florain Dufour crossed either side of the break, both improved by Baptiste Serin, who added a penalty before Rob Webber's converted score.

• European Challenge Cup Pool 3: Perpignan 21-36 Connacht

Dufour's second score came just a minute after Sale had been briefly reduced to 13 men, Bristow's dismissal following the sin-binning of fellow prop Alexandru Tarus for a string of offences.

England wing Chris Ashton scored twice in Sale's 50-24 victory when the two sides met a week earlier in France - and the hosts also had a man sent off.

But Sale chose to make six changes against a Bordeaux side who had lost all their three previous pool games and this time came off the worse in another ill-tempered match of two yellow cards and one red.

What happens next?

Having picked up three wins from their three games in Pool 3, Steve Diamond's side remain top of the table.

But they now lead the group by just three points going into their penultimate game, away to Connacht.

That takes place on 12 January, the day after Perpignan meet Bordeaux.

In the final round of fixtures the following weekend (Friday 18 January), Sale will host so far winless Perpignan, while Bordeaux meet Connacht.

Sale Sharks: Ashton; Solomona, S James, L James, McGuigan; R du Preez, de Klerk; Bristow, Langdon, Tarus, Beaumont, Phillips, .J-L du Preez, B Curry, Strauss (capt).

Sale: Ashton; Solomona, S James, L James, Odogwu; Wilkinson, Cliff; Bristow, Langdon, Jones, Evans, Ostrikov, J-L du Preez, B Curry, Strauss (capt).

Replacements: Webber, Harrison, John, Evans, T Curry, Cliff, Docherty, Reed.

Sin-bin: Tarus (40)

Sent off: Bristow (40)

Bordeaux: Buros; Plazy, Desaubies, Lebraud, Cros; Meret, Serin (capt); Paiva, Dufour, Tabidze, Douglas, Jones, Braid, Woki, Houston.

Replacements: Pelissie, Poirot, Afatia, Marais, Gorgadze, Lesgourgues, Connor, Domvo.

Sin-bin: Desaubies (80)

Referee: Sean Gallagher.

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