Premiership: Sale Sharks beat Leicester Tigers 32-5 as Sione Kalamafoni sent off

Leicester's challenge at Sale was over once number eight Sione Kalamafoni was sent off

Sale scored six tries to beat Leicester who had number eight Sione Kalamafoni sent off early in the second half.

Sharks moved into the top five courtesy of first-half scores from Bryn Evans and Denny Solomona after Facundo Gigena had crossed for Tigers.

Valery Morozov stretched their lead after the restart shortly before Kalamafoni saw red for an illegal clear out at the fringes of a ruck.

Josh Beaumont, Faf de Klerk and a penalty try then added further points.

Sale move to within two points of fourth-placed Gloucester, who face Harlequins on Sunday, with Steve Diamond's side above Bath on the same number of points by virtue of more wins.

Defeat for Leicester continues their inconsistent campaign and Kalamafoni's anticipated suspension will add more problems to an already injury-ravaged squad.

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Tigers were 15-5 behind when referee Matthew Carley and television match official Graham Hughes ruled that the Tonga back-row forward's shoulder had made contact with Sale number eight Beaumont's head.

Both sides also had a man sin-binned on the night as Joe Ford picked up a yellow card in the first half for slapping the ball out of Evans' hands when he scored Sale's first try.

De Klerk was also punished for Sale before his second-half try when he took out Tigers winger Jordon Olowofela in mid-air.

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond:

"It wasn't very pretty. Fair play to Leicester, they were ravaged by injuries and international call-ups and we didn't really know what we were going to face.

"They put up a really good fight in the first half.

"Combine that with, for some reason, us having a lethargy about us with mistake after mistake in the first half, Leicester managed to stay close to us for long periods.

"The second half was much better for sure. It's down to us to not be complacent in the games that lie ahead."

Leicester head coach Geordan Murphy told BBC Radio Leicester:

"Some big decisions went against us back end of the first half. Even being 10-5 behind at half-time, I was happy with where we were at.

"A huge decision once Sione Kalamafoni gets a red card probably costs us the game.

"It's one of those big flashpoints in world rugby. It'll probably be a talking point, but for me it was probably just play on.

"However Josh Beaumont looked like he was shot and that's sort of the way the game goes."

Sale: L James; Solomona, O'Connor, Van Rensburg, Reed; S James, De Klerk; Morozov, Webber, John, Evans, Phillips, Ross (capt), Curry, Beaumont.

Replacements: Langdon, Bristow, Jones, Postlethwaite, Neild, Warr, Redpath, Odogwu.

Sin-bin: De Klerk (61).

Leicester: Holmes; Sarto, Aspland-Robinson, Eastmond, Olowofela; J Ford, Simmons; Gigena, T Youngs (capt), Heyes, Spencer, Kitchener, Williams, Thompson, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Kerr, Ma'afu, Feao, Wells, Evans, Lewis, Hardwick, Steward.

Sin-bin: Ford (22).

Red card: Kalamafoni (56).

Referee: Matthew Carley.

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