Four-try Sale beat Gloucester in The Prem opener

Sale Sharks have lost only once in the league at home since January 2024

The Prem

Sale (5) 27

Tries: Roebuck, Jibulu, Carpenter, Andrews Cons: Ford 2 Pens: Ford

Gloucester (10) 10

Tries: Clement Cons: Byrne Pens: Byrne

Sale Sharks kicked off the 2025-26 season of The Prem with a strong second-half display to beat Gloucester 27-10.

The Cherry and Whites led at the break through Jack Clement's try and a Ross Byrne penalty, with Tom Roebuck getting the Sharks five points.

Sale hooker Nathan Jibulu's driving score nudged the hosts in front in the second half before George Ford's penalty extended their advantage.

Joe Carpenter then dived into the corner to all but secure the win, and Hyron Andrews added the bonus-point score in the final minute, as Gloucester were denied any second-half points.

Both sides started fast and aggressively and were initially evenly matched, with an impasse on the scoreboard until the16th minute when Roebuck tapped down in the corner. Despite what appeared to be a knock-on beforehand by Ben Curry, the try stood following a TMO check.

Gloucester underwent wholesale squad changes this summer, and with five debutants in their starting 15 they punched holes down the wings but showed rustiness particularly from set-pieces. Three line-outs went awry before a fourth put them five metres from Sale's line for the first time, only to then be turned over.

Sale enjoyed the better possession and got the ball over the line a second time through Curry only for the TMO this time to rule it out for obstruction as the maul rolled forward.

Gloucester closed the gap through new fly-half Byrne's 35th-minute penalty, and they took the lead impressively with the final play of the half after winning a first scrum penalty to allow Byrne to kick to the corner for a line-out.

Tomos Williams - playing his first minutes of rugby since a hamstring injury ended his Lions tour - switched the direction of play as the ball came out, and Clement found the line to run over and make it 10-5, but it would prove Gloucester's final score of the night.

Sale have only lost once at home since January 2024 in the league and they turned the screw in the second half. Gus Warr chased and grounded a grubber kick, but it was disallowed, this time for a forward pass in the build-up.

But with Clement shown yellow for bringing down a maul, on their seventh visit to Gloucester's 22 Sale finally had their second score through summer signing Jibulu, who drove over.

Ford's penalty opened the lead to five points, before his impressive long, looping pass over the top found Carpenter in space and he sprinted and dived into the corner.

The Sharks kept the pressure on to turn the ball over in the 78th minute and leave with all five bonus points. Ford's second pinpoint pass picked out Tom O'Flaherty out wide and some quick handling between him and Carpenter kept the ball in play for Andrews to ground.

'A statement of our intent' - Sanderson

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson said:

"I was frustrated at half-time, but also pretty calm really. I just asked the players what the fixes were and going into the week it was finding the gameplan that we wanted to carry out.

"I said at half-time 'let's do it better' and our set-piece was magnificent so that's probably the biggest thing.

"This win was a bit of a statement of intent of our ambition."

[On George Ford] "George was magnificent wasn't he?

"He just marshalled things in the second half and was exceptional again, but he's another one who doesn't get the credit because he's so good."

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"That last 10 minutes wasn't good enough. There's plenty in the game we've got to take away. We looked a bit clunky at times. We were pushing, but a bit hard, and Sale caught us out.

"I thought we were pretty comfortable in the first half. It wasn't quite all going to plan. We still had a couple of issues around a few areas but the boys were battling through in a decent spot.

"Second half, the endeavour was there but I think a bit over-keen. We gave away a few easy penalties and Sale marched down the field. This is one place you can't come and give away penalties because the set-piece is very good and they got on top of that - George Ford kept kicking them down our throats."

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White, O'Flaherty; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Jibulu, Opoku-Fordjour; Van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Vermeulen, B Curry, Dugdale.

Replacements: Caine, McIntyre, John, Andrews, Burrow, Hanson, Reed, Woodman.

Gloucester: C Atkinson; Loader, Llewellyn, S Atkinson, Thorley; Byrne, Williams (c); Bellamy, Innard, Fasogbon; Clark, Alemanno, Thomas, Venter, Clement.

Replacements: Freeman-Price, McArthur, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Ludlow, Englefield, Joseph, Edwards-Giraud.

Sin-bin: Jack Clement (50).

Referee: Christope Ridley.