“I came back to Sale to help this team achieve something near their potential, but we’re not there yet and that’s exciting,” declared Alex Sanderson after his side’s thrilling victory, and why not?
Sale had done enough in the second half to show they could yet emerge as a force this season but the manner of their display justified every superlative that came their way.
Sanderson’s men, so insipid during the opening 40 minutes, trailed 18-5 at the interval to a Leicester side missing six England internationals.
Yet the Sharks, inspired by a rare sell-out crowd at a raucous AJ Bell Stadium, roused themselves in quite spectacular fashion after the interval to eke out a win which could prove vital to their play-off bid.
It was a performance chiselled on a collective desire and harvested four second-half tries. Ben Curry scored the first of those and taking centre stage in the absence of his twin brother Tom, who is away on England duty with Raffi Quirke and Bevan Rodd.
Sanderson, who left Saracens to return to Sale as their director of rugby 12 months ago, beamed: “I gave the players the challenge at half-time and Jono Ross said: ‘It’s got to hurt, we need that desire to have a greater intensity to dictate the game.’
“Jono put that to the team and they went out and did it. He’s a good captain and this is a great team. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Leicester, who fielded a youthful lineup, scored the game’s opening try in the 14th minute when Julián Montoya barrelled over the line following a lineout drive. It was his fifth Premiership try of the season and Freddie Burns’ conversion made it 10-0.
Sale’s reply was almost instant as the full-back Luke James backed himself to beat a Tigers defender and scarpered over the line inside the right channel.
Yet Steve Borthwick’s side came back strongly and the winger Guy Porter capitalised on some weak tackling to evade two Sale defenders and dive over in the left corner. With Burns booting two penalties and a conversion, the Premiership leaders were 18-5 up at the interval but in no way in control.
Ben Curry, deputising stylishly for his brother, crashed over the line from a lineout drive and AJ MacGinty converted. Sanderson said of the flanker: “Ben just does everything at 100 miles per hour doesn’t he? He’s like a finely-coiled spring and has been exceptional for us, so I’ve had some really difficult selection decisions I’ve had to make.
“His brother is one of the best players in the world but Ben’s not far off, let’s face it. Then we’ve got Jono Ross as a captain and Jean-Luc and Dan du Preez as well. But when Ben plays like you’ve got to start him.”
Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images for Sale Sharks
Life surged through the Sharks after Curry’s try and Arron Reed again showcased how lightning quick he is by scampering clear in the left corner for a third home score. Montoya’s second try from a maul restored Leicester’s lead but Sale continued to pour forward and they were not to be denied.
MacGinty kicked a penalty to put them back in front and, after Dan du Preez touched down, the homegrown winger Tom Roebuck then confirmed victory when he galloped clear to score with four minutes remaining and amid scenes of mounting euphoria.
The match, televised live by ITV, was rapturously received by the crowd and Sanderson said the England centre Manu Tuilagi and South Africa’s scrum-half Faf de Klerk could return from injury in Sunday’s trip to Harlequins.
Borthwick, Sanderson’s opposite number, cut a frustrated figure but refused to blame the absence of his England men for the defeat.
Borthwick said: “I’m not going to spend any time on people who aren’t here. I thought the effort was magnificent. We had a lot of young players out there and the scoreline wasn’t what we wanted it to be, but we’ll learn from it and be a better team going forward.”
