Premiership: Sale Sharks 41-13 London Irish - Sharks solidify top-four place

Arron Reed (left) latched on to a loose London Irish pass to score Sale's fourth try

Sale recorded another emphatic home win to solidify their place in the Premiership top four as they ran in six tries against London Irish.

Simon Hammersley, Lood de Jager and Byron McGuigan crossed in a first half in which the hosts also had three more attempts disallowed for infringements.

Arron Reed secured the try bonus early in the second half before McGuigan completed his hat-trick with two more.

Ben Donnell dotted down a consolation score for the Exiles.

A five-point return for Sale coupled with Northampton's defeat by leaders Bristol means Alex Sanderson's side have a six-point cushion over the fifth-placed Saints.

Irish stay sixth despite falling to their eighth consecutive defeat at the AJ Bell Stadium.

• Premiership table

• Bristol come from behind to win at Northampton

While Sale's 28-point margin of victory was emphatic, it could have been even more convincing had efforts from McGuigan, De Jager and Jean-Luc du Preez not been ruled out by the television match official.

But Scotland winger McGuigan showed his classy finishing skills in both halves to help his side bounce back from defeat at Northampton last weekend.

His first came as he latched on to a clever kick over the top from scrum-half Faf de Klerk, his second from an interception as he raced clear from halfway and then his third in the final seconds when got round on the outside despite his side being down to 13 men.

Sale director of rugby Pat Sanderson:

"A lot of the aspects of the game joined up today to put that relentless pressure on them that we exerted in the first half. We work hard in training on making it like that so it was good to put it out there for 80 minutes.

"It's been a bit like spinning plates the last eight weeks, you work on one thing and another aspect of your game comes loose. But the transitions in play worked well today and it puts teams in a pressure cooker. Although we had three tries disallowed in the first half, we knew that we could keep it coming."

London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney:

"It's not our character, it's just our execution in a few areas and, if we don't get that right, they're going to punish you, especially against good sides like Sale. Everybody looks to set out their stall in the first five minutes and Sale had a good start today, they took their opportunities, but after 20 minutes it was still only 7-3.

"There's plenty that's within our control but it's going to make us a better side by playing against these sides that test you. Maybe we're leaning on that last 10 or 15 minutes a little bit too much. We have to learn to start the game a little bit stronger and play for that 80 minutes."

Sale: Hammersley, McGuigan, S James, Doherty, Reed; R. du Preez, De Klerk; Rodd, Van der Merwe, Oosthuizen, Beaumont, De Jager, Ross (capt), Neild, JL du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, Harrison, Harper, Phillips, Dugdale, Cliff, MacGinty, L James.

Sin-bin: Oosthuizen (43 mins), Harrison (75 mins), Reed (77 mins).

London Irish: Stokes, Loader, Rona, Brophy-Clews, Hassell-Collins; Jackson, Meehan; Goodrick-Clarke, Creevy, Chawatama, Mafi, Simmons, Rogerson (capt), Donnell, Tuisue.

Replacements: Cornish, Gigena, Hoskins, Nott, Cowan, Phipps, Joseph, Parton.

Sin-bin: Brophy Clews (4 mins).

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

• Rugby Weekly Union podcast - listen and subscribe here