There was a time when Sale were largely unbeatable at home, their uninviting base on the outskirts of Salford inhospitable to visitors and a fortress to Alex Sanderson’s players. Not any longer.
Not for the first time this season, Sale were reduced to Mancunian rubble in front of their own supporters as they slipped to a record Prem defeat while Saracens romped to a record victory in the competition. Sanderson is a passionate, engaging rugby man but scrutiny will now increase on a tenure stretching over five years in which Sale’s ambitious owners have spent big without reward.
