Exeter go top with late comeback win at Sale

The Prem.

Sale (19) 26

James, Wills, Ford, R du Preez, Ford 4

Exeter (6) 27

Chiefs of Exeter went top of The Prem. as they staged a stirring second-half fightback to steal victory off Sale Sharks.

Sale led 26-6 when George Ford converted Alex Wills’ second try after 46 minutes.

Before Australia prop Scott Sio was found to have crossed the line, and Henry Slade kicked the conversion, Jack Yeandle and Olly Woodburn made two quick tries to bring them within a converted score.

With their point difference victory, Exeter moved above Northampton Saints to claim their first away league win since April 2024.

Tom Curry and Tom Hooper both received yellow cards, but the home team had the only try of the first half thanks to Luke James, who had led 19-6.

With Sale leading in the region’s typical Friday night weather, a win for the Devon side appeared unlikely in the opening moments.

As England’s fly-half Ford kicked four penalties to Slade’s two in the 40th minute, the two yellow cards for Exeter constituted an attrition and confrontational match.

Full-back James was the only try of that time who burst onto Rob du Preez’s skillful pass to score close to the posts.

The home side then looked poised to win when Wills ran over a subpar tackle to touch down in the corner.

The Chiefs were immediately revived after Yeandle burrowed over from close range after two tries in seven minutes, before Woodburn, who had done some good work with him and Dafydd Jenkins, put together a spectacular athletic finish in the corner.

Curry, an England flanker, was the other subject of conversation in the first half.

Just five days prior, he was a part of a tackle against Argentina that caused Juan Cruz Mallia to injure his right cruciate ligament.

After the match, Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi called the flanker a “bully,” claiming there had been a fight in the tunnel between the pair.

Midweek, Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson laughed off the description, but his player was immediately in the limelight when he made his club’s debut this year.

Josh Hodge, a full-back at Exeter, was hit with a thunderous kick, but after a TMO review, Curry was sent off for the tackle that was deemed too high.

Director of rugby for Sale Sharks, Alex Sanderson, stated:

It’s very difficult to accept, to be honest. The final thirty seconds were completely reversed.

We also lost some close calls to our lines, lost all the scraps, lost all the territory, and on top of that, Exeter were able to recover for some relatively easy tries.

We clearly didn’t manage to snatch back momentum in the final 30 minutes, which you must do in your own way.

You have to be good enough to win a game, though, saying that “George (Ford) going off undoubtedly had an impact on us and some of our game management.”

Rob Baxter, the rugby director for Chiefs of Exeter, said:

Sale simply don’t lose their rugby matches here, saying, “They’re very good here.” Because they had control over discipline, territory, and the way the game was to be played, they were first demonstrating why.

“George Ford did a fantastic job. He constantly attacked us, which put us under pressure.

I don’t believe we kicked once in the first half, aside from restarts. That provided a tactical explanation of where we were going wrong.

“Playing against Sale under some pressure or in your own territory is a recipe for disaster.”

Jibulu, Onasanya, Harper, Burrow, Andrews, Quirke, Louw, Grace, and others.

Sin-bin: T Curry (5)

Hodge, Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Ikitau, Woodburn, Skinner, Chapman, Goodrick-Clarke, Dweba, Iosefa-Scott, Jenkins, Zambonin, Hooper, Roots, Fisilau, are Chiefs of Exeter.

Yeandle, Sio, Tchumbadze, Pearson, James, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, and Hammersley are the replacements.

Sin-bin: Hooper (11)