Sale survived the loss of Manu Tuilagi to clinch a Gallagher Premiership play-off spot thanks to a 20-10 upset win at Saracens.
Tuilagi, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday, has almost certainly played his last game in a Sharks shirt after he was forced off with a hamstring injury after 17 minutes.
Initial indications from the club were that the centre’s campaign was over and he would miss the semi-final against Bath on 1 June and a possible Twickenham final before his move to Bayonne in France.
Saracens’ defeat condemned them to a last-four knock-out game on the road against Northampton on 31 May after they had been favourites for a home tie.
And it also meant this was the last home game for Owen Farrell, plus Billy and Mako Vunipola before their summer moves. Sam James slipped into Tuilagi’s shoes effortlessly and was part of a Sale side that won at the Stonex Stadium for the first time in the league.
In a repeat of last year’s final, George Ford had helped Sale to a 17-point lead with 30 minutes left, with the visitors’ scrum and defence – led by Ben Curry – dominant, before a brief Saracens fightback.
Bristol held up their end of the bargain by winning a thrilling encounter against Harlequins but it was not enough to reach the play-offs.
Both Quins and Bears could have qualified with a bonus-point win, provided other results went their way, and Bristol ran in seven tries during the 53-28 success at the Stoop.
But with Sale’s victory at Saracens, Bristol’s triumph proved in vain as they finished fifth.
Bears led 21-14 at half-time, with James Williams, Ellis Genge and Gabriel Ibitoye all crossing. Those scores came at a cost though, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg, Callum Sheedy and Genge all forced off before the break. England prop Genge ended the game on crutches and in a walking boot which will concern head coach Steve Borthwick. Harlequins scored two tries of their own through Chandler Cunningham-South and Alex Dombrandt.
Elsewhere, Bath rose to the occasion with a six-try 43-12 demolition of leaders Northampton that confirmed their place in the Premiership play-offs. But the players had to wait several agonising minutes to learn that they had also earned a prize home tie against Sale, shock winners at Saracens.
The match will be played on Saturday, 1 June, testimony to a remarkable transformation from the dark days of two years ago when Bath finished bottom of the table.
A red card for departing back-rower Jasper Wiese was not enough to dampen the mood as Leicester secured a 40-22 victory over Exeter, who missed out on a place in the Premiership play-offs.
Sale’s victory at Saracens meant the outcome at Welford Road was academic, but this was nevertheless the ideal way for eighth-placed Leicester to end a difficult campaign.
The only negative of the afternoon was Wiese’s dimissal in his final game for the Tigers, while results elsewhere meant Exeter dropped two places to seventh on the final day of the regular season.
Newcastle finished the Gallagher Premiership season without a single victory as Gloucester were convincing 54-14 winners in Saturday’s finale at Kingsholm.
As a result, Falcons followed in the footsteps of Rotherham in 2003-04 and London Welsh 2014-15, who also failed to record victories in a league season and this latest reverse left Falcons with a mere five points from their 18 league fixtures.
After last week’s 90-0 humiliation at the hands of Northampton, Gloucester were mightily relieved to finish on the winning side, but it still was not enough for them to avoid statistically their worst-ever Premiership season.
Zach Mercer, Chris Harris, Charlie Atkinson, Ollie Thorley, Seb Blake, Jonny May, Alex Hearle and Josh Hathaway scored their tries with Caolan Englefield converting five. Stephen Varney and Santiago Socino each added a conversion. Jamie Blamire and Matias Moroni scored Newcastle’s tries, both of which Brett Connon converted.
