Exeter go top with late comeback win at Sale

The Prem

Sale (19) 26

Tries: James, Wills Cons: Ford, R du Preez Pens: Ford 4

Exeter (6) 27

Tries: Yeandle, Woodburn, Sio Cons: Slade 3 Pens: Slade 2

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

When George Ford converted Sale's second try from Alex Wills after 46 minutes, the home side led 26-6.

But two quick tries from Jack Yeandle and Olly Woodburn brought them within a converted score before Australia prop Scott Sio was adjudged to have got over the line and Henry Slade kicked the conversion.

It delivered a first away league win for Exeter since April 2024 as they climbed above Northampton Saints on points difference.

The home side had grabbed the only try of a physical first half through Luke James as they led 19-6, with Tom Curry and Exeter's Tom Hooper both shown yellow cards.

But after their first home league defeat since March, Sale have now lost three successive Prem games and remain in seventh.

A win for the Devon side looked unlikely during the opening stages with Sale on top in typical Friday night conditions in these parts.

The two yellow cards marked an attritional and confrontational 40 minutes as England fly-half Ford kicked four penalties to Slade's two for Exeter.

The only try in that period came from full-back James, who burst on to Rob du Preez's deft pass to run a devastating line to score near the posts.

Then when Wills ran over a weak tackle to touch down in the corner, the home side led by 20 and looked to be marching to victory.

But two tries in seven minutes brought the Chiefs right back into things as club captain Yeandle burrowed over from close range, before Woodburn produced a spectacular athletic finish in the corner after nice work involving him and Dafydd Jenkins.

Momentum was now all with the visitors, especially with Ford having left the field with a groin injury, and Sio's score gave Slade the chance to kick the Chiefs to a first Prem away win in 13 games.

The other talking point in the first half surrounded England flanker Curry.

Just five days ago, he was involved in a tackle against Argentina that resulted in their full-back Juan Cruz Mallia suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi described the flanker as a "bully" after the match, stating there had been an incident in the tunnel between the pair.

That description was laughed off by Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson in midweek, but his player was at the centre of things again within five minutes of his first appearance for his club this season.

Curry produced a thunderous hit in midfield on Exeter full-back Josh Hodge, but after a TMO review, Curry was given a yellow card as the tackle was deemed high.

But shortly after, he was joined in the bin by Australia flanker Hooper, who was penalised for a head-on-head tackle on Jacques Vermeulen.

Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson said:

"It's very difficult to swallow, to accept. The last 30 minutes was a complete reversal.

"We lost all the aerial collisions, lost all the scraps, lost territory and on the back of that, lost some collisions close to our line and on the back of that, Exeter were able to get over for some relatively easy tries.

"You have to snatch back momentum and look to control it again in your own way and we clearly didn't do that in the last 30 minutes.

"George (Ford) going off no doubt affected us and some parts of our game management, but you've got to be good enough to close a game out."

Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter said:

"Sale are very good here, they just don't lose games of rugby here. They were showing why in the first half as they had control of discipline, territory, the way the game needed to be played.

"George Ford played very, very well. He took territory all the time which kept us under pressure.

"Apart from restarts, I don't think we kicked once in the first half. That told the tale of tactically where we were getting it wrong.

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

"But I have to congratulate the lads. Whatever you say tactically at half-time, you still have to rely on them giving a great amount of physical effort and desire. We had bags of that."

Sale Sharks: James; O'Flaherty, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White, Wills; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, van Rhyn, Bamber, Vermeulen, T Curry, D du Preez.

Replacements: Jibulu, Onasanya, Harper, Burrow, Andrews, Quirke, Louw, Grace.

Sin-bin: T Curry (5)

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

Replacements: Yeandle, Sio, Tchumbadze, Pearson, James, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Hammersley.

Sin-bin: Hooper (11)

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe