Sarries sink Sharks

Troubled Saracens stunned second-placed Sale at Vicarage Road with a tight 24-23 victory on Sunday.

Tries from Nick Lloyd and Noah Cato and a valuable 14 points from the boot of Glen Jackson saw Sarries hold off a strong finish from the Sharks to emerge with a tight one-point victory.

Saracens have made the headlines for the wrong reasons this week, with reports that up to as many as 15 of their players will be cut loose at the end of the season.

If wholesale changes are to be made, several members of the current squad did their standings no harm with Sunday's display against championship chasing Sale.

After tries from Dean Schofield and Lee Thomas, Sale should have snatched victory when lock Schofield crossed for his second score with four minutes left, but Thomas missed the conversion and Saracens got off the hook.

Jackson boot

Jackson kicked Saracens in front after nine minutes, before prop Lloyd barged his way over the line for 8-0, but this time Jackson hit the post when he attempted his conversion.

Sale got on the board on 16 minutes when Schofield benefited from a kick being charged down to go over, and Thomas converted for 8-7.

The Sharks were without seven of their squad due to international fixtures, but still took the lead with a Thomas penalty on the half-hour.

Jackson hit a penalty and drop-goal to put the hosts 14-10 ahead at the break, but with injuries leading to uncontested scrums, Sale got back on top.

Thomas missed a penalty though and the visitors could not turn possession into points, and it was Saracens who struck next to extend their lead to 21-10 with a converted try from Cato.

Thomas looked to redeem himself and he touched down in the corner before slotting a penalty to reduce the deficit to three points.

Jackson's third penalty extended the lead to six, but it still looked to be a losing effort when Schofield scored his second try of the match with just four minutes on the clock.

But Thomas missed the relatively simple conversion attempt and Saracens, troubled though they might be, walked away with the points.