Sale hit hard, hit often, and occasionally hit high. Their reward, having soaked up the self-inflicted damage caused by one red card and two yellows, is progress to the last eight of the Champions Cup. This last-16 second leg was as chaotic, eventful and entertaining as last week’s first leg had been dire. Ultimately Sale’s physicality, forward muscle and a late try by the captain, Jono Ross, was enough to deny Bristol a first visit to the quarter-finals.
On a night peppered with high tackles and TMO checks, not to mention a few tries, Sale had Arron Reed sent off in the first half, with Faf de Klerk and Nick Schonert also sent to the sin-bin either side of half-time, but the Sharks were the side still standing at the end of it all.
