Sharks find their bite

Henry Thomas on the charge for Sale

Sale's impressive start to the new Premiership season continued as they scored three second-half tries to beat Northampton 29-21 at Edgeley Park.

Mark Easter, Dwayne Peel and David Seymour all crossed after the break as the Sharks claimed their third straight victory.

The visitors had forwards Calum Clark and Phil Dowson sin-binned midway through the second half and Sale took full advantage.

All Northampton's points came from the boot of fly-half Stephen Myler, but it was not enough to prevent a third straight defeat.

Myler and opposite number Nick MacLeod both missed penalties during the early exchanges before Myler knocked over an eighth-minute penalty to put Saints ahead.

Yet the momentum quickly shifted in Sale's favour as they attacked with aggression and pace.

Sharks centre Andrew Higgins made a searing run inside the right channel, driving into the heart of Northampton's 22-metre line before his progress was halted.

Northampton withstood the early pressure and Myler booted his second penalty in the 16th minute to double his side's advantage.

He added his third from the halfway line three minutes later before Northampton were again forced to repel an onslaught from the home side, for whom Peel and MacLeod again dovetailed effectively at half-back.

Sale's pressure told in the 20th minute when MacLeod kicked a penalty to get them off the mark but Northampton then enjoyed a purple patch which threatened to take them over the line.

With Northampton camped on the edge of Sale's line, Peel was sin-binned for kicking the ball out of Martin Roberts' hands as he attempted to take a quick penalty tap.

Pressure

Yet to Sale's credit, they held off wave after wave of Northampton pressure on their line.

Although Myler landed his fourth penalty from five attempts in the 36th minute, MacLeod struck his second moments later to leave the scores finely poised at 12-6 in Northampton's favour.

Four minutes after the restart, Myler landed his fifth penalty and MacLeod then hit back with his third as the boot dominated once again as Myler kicked his sixth penalty in the 54th minute.

Four minutes later, Sale were rewarded for a period of sustained pressure as Easter grounded the ball in the left corner after Northampton's defence was finally breached.

MacLeod could not add the extras but after Saints had Clark sin-binned in the 59th minute and then Dowson was shown a yellow card three minutes later, Sale were playing against 13 men.

A penalty from MacLeod cut the gap to one point and four minutes later Peel scampered over in the right corner for a try which MacLeod could not convert.

Myler then kicked his seventh penalty to cut Sale's lead but a fine score from Seymour in the 74th minute proved decisive, as he burst clear inside the left channel and MacLeod added the extras to deny Northampton even a losing bonus point.