Second-half fightback gives Leicester win over Sale

Gallagher Premiership, Welford Road

Leicester (16) 44

Tries: Radwan, Hassell-Collins 2, Ilione 2 Cons: Pollard 5 Pens: Pollard (3)

Sale (26) 34

Leicester Tigers scored four second-half tries to come from behind and beat Sale Sharks for a crucial win in the race for the Premiership play-offs.

Adam Radwan scored Tigers’ first try but Sale had control at the break after Luke Cowan-Dickie, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Arron Reed and Rob du Preez earned them an early bonus point and a 26-16 half-time lead.

Leicester responded quickly after the interval with two tries from winger Ollie Hassell-Collins, and when replacement back-row Emeka Ilione added their fourth try the game looked won.

Rob du Preez immediately scored his second try to bring the visitors back to 37-34 but with the final play of the game Ilione was driven over to deny Sale a losing bonus point.

Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya (c), Heyes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Cronin, Cole, Rogerson, Ilione, Youngs, Shillcock, Kelly.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Rob du Preez (c), Ma’asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Bamber, Hill, van Rhyn, T Curry, JL du Preez.

Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Andrews, B Curry, D du Preez, Quirke, O’Flaherty.

Sin-bin: Hill (79).