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19 hours ago
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Finn Russell provided the inspiration as Premiership leaders Bath claimed an entertaining bonus-point win after edging out a Sale side missing eight England players owing to international commitments.
The Scotland fly-half was pivotal throughout and claimed 12 points with the boot to pass a century of points in the Premiership this season in a typically mercurial display that cemented his side’s status as title favourites.
Russell’s deft handling helped create a first-half brace for wing Ruaridh McConnochie and he was at it again after the interval, sending a long pass out to Joe Cokanasiga who expertly ushered Max Ojomoh over the line.
The centre’s 54th-minute score saw Bath lead for the first time and it was an advantage they did not relinquish, with the replacement Tom Carr-Smith latching on to a kick from Russell to clinch their fourth try late on.
A bitterly cold, windswept Sunday afternoon on the outskirts of Salford is about as far removed from a Premiership final at Twickenham as it gets.
But this latest victory further encouraged the idea that Bath, who lost last year’s title decider to Northampton, are ready to go on and be crowned champions for the first time since 1996.
The result was a big blow to Sale’s playoff hopes and how Alex Sanderson must have wished he could have called upon Tom Roebuck, George Ford, Raffi Quirke, Tom Curry, Ben Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
That group are in Girona for England’s pre-Six Nations training camp and, while there were reasons for Sanderson to maintain some optimism, Bath were not to be denied.
Bath were without Ted Hill, Ollie Lawrence, Will Stuart and Ben Spencer owing to their England commitments but the Scotland duo of Russell and Josh Bayliss both started.
The visitors began strongly with Beno Obano leading the way in the front row, but Sale gradually warmed to their task on an icily cold afternoon.
Joe Carpenter, who made the England squad for their summer tour last year without earning a cap, cut an impressive figure at full-back.
Safe under the high ball and willing to support the attack at every opportunity, he helped the hosts to enjoy a period of pressure that harvested the game’s opening try in the 18th minute.
Rob du Preez threw an exquisite long pass out to Arron Reed on the left flank and the Scotland winger showed impressive strength and speed to step inside Cokanasiga and dive over the line.
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Du Preez missed the conversion and had an errant afternoon with the boot, landing just two of his five kicks at goal, and Bath hit back in the 25th minute when Russell’s neat pass sent McConnochie over in the left corner. Three minutes later, Du Preez scored Sale’s second try, diving over from close range after Tom O’Flaherty was denied in the right.
On the stroke of half-time, Russell’s deft offload found McConnochie running a lovely diagonal line inside the right channel and he sauntered through a gap to score.
Sale still led 16-12 at the interval but Bath showed their class early in the second half, with Ojomoh having a try ruled out by the TMO after losing control of the ball under a challenge from O’Flaherty before touching down.
He was not to be denied, though, six minutes later when Russell’s pass found Cokanasiga and his pass handed Ojomoh his eighth try in 50 Premiership appearances.
Russell’s conversion gave Bath a little breathing space at 22-16 and, after a promising Sale attack came to nothing, the visitors’ No 10 sent a kick upfield that invited Carr-Smith to give chase and he hacked forward before touching down to clinch the bonus-point.
Yet there was an unmistakable spirit to Sale and Carpenter ploughed over from close range and Du Preez converted to encourage hopes of a rousing finale.
At that stage, Sale had a losing bonus-point in the bag but they conceded a last-minute penalty that Russell kicked to leave the hosts with nothing as they slipped to a first home defeat of the season.
