Hanley on song as Sale close on leaders

Sale 36Bath 18

Sale had too much pace, precision and panache for Bath. Steve Hanley waltzed in for two tries as Sale scored five to claim a bonus point and move to within a point of Gloucester at the top of the table.

Not much went right for Bath before a capacity Heywood Road crowd of 5,700. Mike Catt's attempt to play before taking a month off to allow long-term back and groin injuries to heal, lasted just four minutes. Olly Barkley moved to outside-half and was soon called on to kick a penalty from 40 metres. It was not flagged as legal by either touch judge, but the referee thought otherwise and the goal stood.

Bath then had the encouragement of a try when James Scaysbrook was driven over from a line-out. With Barkley's conversion set against a penalty and a drop goal from Jos Baxendell, Bath were 10-6 ahead and hardly missing Catt. Then came Hanley.

For his first try, Graeme Bond's pass in the build-up looked a tad forward, but play continued until Hanley had squeezed into the corner. As Sale maintained the momentum, Vaughan Going broke up the left flank and fed Hanley, and although the big winger still had plenty to do, no one in a Bath jersey fancied tackling him, so he was able to score his Premiership-leading ninth try.

The sending of Kevin Yates and Jonathan Humphreys to the sin bin did nothing to alter the balance of power, and Baxendell added a second penalty to herald the break at 19-10. Barkley pulled three points back with a penalty, but further Sale tries by the flanker, Stu Pinkerton, and the second row, Dean Schofield, put the result beyond doubt.

Simon Danielli then crossed into the right corner for Bath, but well before the end they looked a bedraggled lot, especially when their captain Danny Grewcock was shown the yellow card for foul play. Mark Cueto's stoppage-time try only compounded the misery.

Sale: Tries Hanley 2, Pinkerton, Schofield, Cueto Conversion Baxendell Penalties Baxendell 2 Drop Goal Baxendell Bath: Tries Scaysbrook, Danielli Conversion Barkley Penalties Barkley 2

Sale: V Going; M Cueto, D Harris (J Robinson, 54), G Bond, S Hanley; J Baxendell, B Redpath (capt; R Wigglesworth, 84); K Yates (J Thorp 56), C Marais (J Roddam 82), S Turner (B Stewart 56), C Jones (M Lund, 76), D Schofield, P Davies, S Pinkerton, P Anglesea (J Thorp 38-48; I Fullarton, 64)

Bath: O Barkley; S Danielli, K Maggs, M Tindall (A Crockett 25-36; 74), S Davey; M Catt (T Voyce, 4), R Blake (G Cooper, 46); D Barnes, J Humphreys, J Mallet (A Galasso, 55), S Borhwick, D Grewcock (capt), J Scaysbrook (L Mears 38-48), A Beattie, N Thomas (A Lloyd, 75)

Referee: M Fox (Desford, Leicestershire).