Premiership: Sale Sharks 30-6 Northampton Saints: MacGinty key as losing run ends

Marland Yarde scored his second try of the season for Sale

Sale Sharks ended a two-game losing run in the Premiership with a two-try victory over Northampton Saints at a soggy and windy AJ Bell Stadium.

Akker van der Merwe's try and AJ MacGinty's boot guided Sale into a 13-6 half-time lead, while Saints half James Grayson kicked two penalties in reply.

Marland Yarde's try gave the hosts some second-half breathing space, before McGinty popped over another penalty.

Jono Ross sealed it with a short-range plunge over with the clock in the red.

The home side climb to seventh, while Saints were replaced by Exeter in fourth despite the Chiefs' defeat by Newcastle - with a bonus point.

This was a timely win for Sharks, who have as yet failed to hit the heights they did last season in reaching the play-offs.

MacGinty's kicking game eased pressure with good exit strategy alongside stout defence, to ensure a comfortable night despite the tricky conditions.

They could even afford to hand Saints plenty of chances to turn the screw after giving away penalties at mauls and scrums but Northampton were unable to take advantage in terms of points.

While they were shorn of several key players because of international call-ups and injury, they were unable to capitalise.

Grayson missed one kick from in front of the posts, which summed up a disappointing night for a side who have tailed off slightly following an eye-catching start.

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson:

"AJ was magic. I always like to get the bench on but he was in such a good flow and I just wanted to leave him on and he kept kicking the goals.

"We haven't really seen AJ this season and he's pretty much the finished article. He got back into his groove and that's the AJ I expect to see for the rest of the season. He just pulls the strings like a good 10 does. The boys who came back in gave us a little bit of experience.

"I've still got faith in the other lads and I'm still going to rotate them and play them, but on a wet night like this, you tend to turn to those players who have been there and come through it - and they have stepped up today."

Northampton director of rugby Chris Boyd told BBC Radio Northampton:

"It was a bridge too far. We had a reasonably good week, and in the last 15 minutes of training we lost Fraser Dingwall, Teimana Harrison and Juarno Augustus.

"They all turned up this morning hoping that they'd get on the bus, two didn't and one did and he didn't get through the warm-up.

"Without grizzling about it, we've got 10 internationals and 11 injuries, and we had to put five props on the bench. We're getting pretty tight on the old roster.

"It was tough. We chose to play downwind and down 13-6 at half-time, we played some better football in the second-half. There are a lot of ifs, but if we converted some spells we might have got a point."

Sale: Hammersley, McGuigan, S. James, JV Rensburg, Yarde, MacGinty, Warr, Rodd, Van Der Merwe, Oosthuizen, JL. Du Preez, JP. Du Preez, Ross (c), B. Curry, D. Du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, McIntyre, Jones, Postlethwaite, Dugdale, Thomas, R. Du Preez, L. James.

Northampton: Freeman, Skosan, Francis, Hutchinson, Collins, Grayson, James, Waller, Fish, Hill, Ribbans, Moon, Wilkins, Ludlam (c), Augustus.

Replacements: Haywood, Iyogun, Painter, Litchfield, Nansen, Coles, Harrison, Tupai, Gillespie.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU).

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