Tom Curry’s turbulent week continued as he was sent to the sin-bin during a dramatic victory for Exeter Chiefs over his Sale Sharks side, only five days on from the Twickenham row that overshadowed England’s win against Argentina.
The 27-year-old flanker, making his first Prem appearance of the season, was shown a yellow card inside the fifth minute for a dangerous challenge on Josh Hodge, the Exeter full back.
Curry could not hide his frustration at the referee Anthony Woodthorpe’s decision, but the real drama came during the second half as Exeter hit back from 26-6 down to clinch a quite stunning victory.
Curry, such a fierce competitor, featured off the bench in all four of England’s autumn international victories and was this week named in the World Rugby Dream Team of 2025.
But after the storm that raged in the wake of England’s 27-23 triumph last Sunday, which ended in an alleged tunnel bust-up and the Pumas head coach, Felipe Contepomi, labelling him a bully, Curry could have done without being centre stage for all the wrong reasons once again.
Hodge was initially able to continue after Curry’s challenge, although he was replaced at half-time, and on a bitterly cold night on the outskirts of Salford it took two star-studded teams much of the first period to warm to their task.
Exeter sealed their fourth win in six games and looked to have turned a corner after last season’s struggles
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In the end it was Rob Baxter’s visiting team who emerged victorious after showing remarkable spirit to win the contest with three second-half tries.
Sale named Curry, George Ford, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Asher Opoku-Fordjour in their line-up, while two of their England colleagues, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade, started for Exeter.
Ford failed to keep up the winning habit after England’s triumphant autumn clean sweep
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After Curry was sent to the sin-bin, Slade kicked the penalty to put the visiting side ahead, but Ford landed four first-half penalties for Sale and converted Luke James’s 24th-minute try. The homegrown full back showed delightful speed and skill to scythe through a leaden-footed Exeter defence to score the only try of the first half.
Exeter’s cause was not helped by an 11th-minute yellow card for Tom Hooper, the Australia flanker, for a late hit on his opposite number, Jacques Vermeulen.
Sale extended their lead seven minutes after the interval when Alex Wills, the wing, touched down in the left corner and Ford’s conversion made it 26-6.
Deputising for the injured Roebuck on the wing, Wills took his chance to extend Sale’s lead early in the second half with a sensational finish
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But Exeter replied through Jack Yeandle’s close-range try as the hour mark approached and Slade’s conversion cut Sale’s advantage to 13 points.
Olly Woodburn’s acrobatic finish, converted by Slade, then cut the gap further before Scott Sio’s close-range try gave Slade the chance to win it for Exeter.
He took it, kicking the conversion that made it 27-26 to Baxter’s side, inflicting only Sale’s second defeat at home in the Prem since January 2024 as Exeter won on the road in the league for the first time since April of the same year.
Scorers: Sale Sharks: Tries James (25min), Wills (47). Cons Ford 2. Pens Ford 4. Exeter Chiefs: Tries Yeandle (55), Woodburn (62), Sio (70). Cons Slade 3. Pens Slade 2.
Sale L James; O’Flaherty, R du Preez, R Ma’asi-White, A Wills; G Ford (M Louw 62min), G Warr (R Quirke 65); S McIntyre, L Cowan-Dickie, A Opoku-Fordjour (J Harper 12), E van Rhyn, B Bamber, J Vermeulen, T Curry (sin-bin 5-15), D du Preez (T Burrow 62).
Exeter J Hodge (B Hammersley 41); I Feyi-Waboso, H Slade, L Ikitau, O Woodburn; H Skinner, C Chapman; W Goodrick-Clarke (Sio 51), J Dweba (J Yeandle 51), J Iosefa-Scott, D Jenkins, A Zambonin, T Hooper (sin-bin 11-21), E Roots, G Fisilau.
Referee A Woodthorpe.