A fine all-round display from George Ford and a powerful contribution from Manu Tuilagi kept Sale firmly on course for a home semi-final in this season’s Gallagher Premiership. The Sharks have now guaranteed their participation in the last four and showed far too much physicality for a Bristol side whose playoff hopes are now effectively over.
Both Ford and Tuilagi have endured injury-disrupted seasons but the England pair appear to be running into some decent form as the campaign approaches its closing furlongs. The influential Ford contributed 21 points on a damp, cool evening while Tuilagi was a regular handful with and without the ball as the Bears endured a mostly frustrating evening.
