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Sale Sharks stopped free-scoring Bristol in their tracks as they moved into the Gallagher Premiership play-off places with a stunning 38-0 victory at Ashton Gate.
Bristol had high hopes of going top above west country rivals Bath, but Sale did not allow them any time or space on the ball and Bears’ trademark running game hit the buffers.
Scrum-half Raffi Quirke set the tone when he breached Bristol‘s defence inside three minutes, and the Sharks never looked back.
Tom Roebuck added a second try before half-time, then captain Ben Curry’s interception score sealed the deal midway through the third quarter, before Roebuck’s fellow wing Tom O’Flaherty secured a bonus point 14 minutes from time.
Centre Rob du Preez kicked three penalties and three conversions, while fly-half George Ford dropped a goal as Sale’s statement win served notice of their title credentials.
Bristol had collected a try-scoring bonus point in each of their last nine league games, equalling the Premiership record.
Sale, in stark contrast, were without a point of any description on their Premiership travels this term, but those statistics were shredded on a spectacular night for Alex Sanderson’s team.
England prop Ellis Genge withdrew from Bristol‘s starting line-up after suffering a back spasm, while it weas confirmed before kick-off that Bears fly-half AJ MacGinty faces four months out due to a knee injury.
Sale produced a lightning start, rocking Bristol when Quirke made a blistering break from 35 metres out to claim a superb solo touchdown that Du Preez converted.
Sale then suffered an injury blow when centre Luke James departed the action after taking a knock to his shoulder, but it did not disrupt impressive early Sharks momentum as Du Preez kicked a penalty.
Bristol could not get going, and their cause was not helped midway through the first-half when Harry Randall was yellow-carded for pulling back Sale hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie off the ball.
Randall had barely left the pitch before Sharks extended their lead courtesy of impressive approach by their forwards that led to Ford freeing Roebuck with a long pass, and he applied a simple finish.
Du Preez’s conversion made it 17-0, before Bristol suffered another injury setback when their top try-scorer Gabriel Ibitoye went off due to an apparent hamstring problem.
Ford then underlined Sale’s dominance by landing a drop-goal as the visitors took a 20-point lead with them into the interval.
Bristol could find no way into the contest, and after Du Preez kicked a second penalty, Curry intercepted home skipper Fitz Harding’s speculative pass to cross from close range, and Du Preez’s conversion saw Sale hit 30 points.
He completed his penalty hat-trick midway through the second period, and all Bristol could concentrate on was trying to break their points duck in a game that had seen them emphatically outplayed.
Sale had other ideas as they raced to a five-point maximum in thrilling fashion when O’Flaherty broke clear from just outside his own 22, then linked with Quirke before finishing in style.
It said everything about a game when Sale took their chances magnificently, building on rock-solid foundations provided by an imperious defensive display.
Bristol, though, were left to reflect on failing to score a point in a Premiership game for the first time since 2016.
PA
