Dogged Sale bring an end to unbeaten Exeter start to season

Sale maintained their fine unbeaten start to the Gallagher Premiership season with a dogged 28-20 victory over in-form Exeter. Joe Carpenter’s try on his Premiership debut plus scores from captain Ben Curry and Akker van der Merwe sealed the first victory for the Sharks over Exeter in five and ended the Chiefs’ own unbeaten start to the season.

Tries from skipper Luke Cowan-Dickie and Sam Maunder were not enough for the Chiefs, who rued their missed opportunities and were denied a losing bonus point when Henry Slade’s long-range penalty attempt at the death fell short.

Exeter made a fast start at the AJ Bell Stadium as flying wing Olly Woodburn made early inroads as the visitors wasted no time in trying to continue their good form which had seen them win three on the spin. The Chiefs had their powerful pack to thank for the first try as England hooker Cowan-Dickie drove over a rolling maul from a well-worked lineout.

Scotland captain Stuart Hogg, returning for his first Premiership start of the season, made a scintillating line break and threatened a quickfire second Exeter try before Sale recovered with desperate scramble defence. The on-song Chiefs were forcing Sale backwards in the early stages with star centre Manu Tuilagi restricted to few touches by an intense, coordinated defence.

But the Sharks finally built momentum as fly-half Rob du Preez exchanged penalties with Exeter centre Slade midway through the first period. Ben Curry led by example after helping to pull the Sharks level at 10-10 with their own maul try just before half-time.

Curry was forced off with a knock early in the second half but the Sharks immediately built on his excellent work to take a deserved lead. Hooker van der Merwe touched down after another rampaging drive from a five-metre lineout, but the away side responded in style with a superbly-worked try with the dangerous Woodburn once again in the action.

He found a gap after a sustained Exeter attack and fed replacement scrum-half Maunder, on in the first half for the injured Stu Townsend, to finish. Slade’s conversion levelled the scores once more and Exeter looked destined to score again just moments later before Hogg knocked on with the try line at his mercy.

The Chiefs were punished as Sale turned the screw, camping out in the opposition half with du Preez adding another penalty before full-back Carpenter went over in the corner to build a 25-17 lead. Slade’s boot reduced the deficit to five for the visitors to set up a grandstand finish, but du Preez calmed late nerves with a penalty to seal an impressive win for the Sharks.