Premiership: Sale 45-12 Harlequins - Sharks win keeps top-two hopes alive

Sale wing Marland Yarde scored against his former club to take his tally to seven Premiership tries this season

Sale Sharks kept alive their hopes of a top-two Premiership finish with a dominant bonus-point win over a much-changed Harlequins side.

Martin Landajo put Quins ahead but Sale responded well as Akker van der Merwe, Marland Yarde, Byron McGuigan and Cameron Neild crossed before half-time.

With Faf de Klerk in the sin-bin, Rohan Janse van Rensburg grabbed a fifth score and then Bevan Rodd powered over.

After a Will Edwards consolation try, Jean-Luc du Preez got in on the act.

Victory means Sale can still pip defending champions Exeter Chiefs to second spot and secure a home semi-final, as the two sides meet at Sandy Park on the final day of the regular campaign next Saturday.

Sale are level on points with the Chiefs but move above them into second on games won ahead of the Devonians' trip to Northampton on Sunday (15:00 BST).

Sharks extend record winning run

Sale last won the Premiership title in 2006 but will be a threat in the play-offs after extending their club-record run to eight successive league wins.

The visitors started brightly at the AJ Bell Stadium, as a break from Tyrone Green provided space for Landajo to scamper away and open the scoring inside the opening four minutes.

But Sale took control as Quins failed to cope with the Sharks' physicality and powerful ball carriers, securing a bonus point before the break.

De Klerk saw yellow for a no-arms tackle 10 minutes after the restart but the hosts retained their hunger for points despite the loss of the South Africa scrum-half.

Sale were without centre Manu Tuilagi, who was due to make his first start since September after recovering from an Achilles injury but was then ruled out after coming into contact with a member of club staff who tested positive for Covid-19.

Quins had made 10 alterations after securing their top-four spot by beating Bath last weekend, and were also forced into late changes after hooker Joe Gray and fly-half James Lang both failed late fitness tests.

Sale: Hammersley; McGuigan, S James, R du Preez, Yarde; MacGinty, De Klerk; Harrison, Van der Merwe, Oosthuizen, Beaumont (capt), J-L du Preez, Neild, B Curry, D du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, Rodd, John, J-P du Preez, Ross, Cliff, Reed, Janse van Rensburg.

Sin-bin: De Klerk (51).

Harlequins: Green; Morris, Marchant, Tapuai, Beard; Edwards, Landajo; Garcia Botta, Elia, Collier, Lamb, Lewies (capt), White, Wallace, Lawday.

Replacements: Baldwin, Baxter, Kerrod, Cavubati, Tizard, Steele, Herrod, Lynagh.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU).

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