For the first 20 minutes of this match it was difficult to know whether the Saints were simply sublime or Sale Sharks horribly toothless. On a gorgeous winter’s day, with Christmas around the corner, the Saints fans probably didn’t care. They hadn’t managed a single “Come on you Saints” before Henry Pollock had outstripped the Sale defence for a beautifully conceived score with Fin Smith and George Hendy playing prominent parts in passing.
There was real rhythm to the Northampton movement but — on the flip side — Sale looked like they had been at the Friday night office party. They were 19-0 down after 17 minutes. Marius Louw made a thumping good tackle in the 12th minute but the ball popped loose and Alex Mitchell made the space to send Hendy through for the second try and a 12-0 lead.
While the replacement for George Ford, Rob du Preez, was perpetually running backwards in response to Saints exploiting error after Sale error, Smith was enjoying an afternoon of practice-ground rugby. There’s a lovely fluency to a confident Northampton side and the ubiquitous Pollock was involved in the third try with a pass to Eduardo Todaro. The young Italian international pin-balled a pass back infield to the industrious Toby Thame for a fine third try.
From a neutral perspective it was vital that Sale scored the next try. Tom O’Flaherty did just that with a flying finish in the corner after Du Preez’s clever through-the-legs pass made the score possible. O’Flaherty had threatened earlier with a fleet-footed counterattack, although it was the Sale full back, Aaron Reed, who dazzled with a couple of defence-opening counterattacks.
O’Flaherty crosses for Sale’s first try despite Furbank’s best efforts
MATTHEW LEWIS/GETTY IMAGES FOR SALE SHARKS
At the other end of the field George Furbank is easing back somewhere towards his best. One diagonal dart and smart kick to the corner highlighted the next stage of his comeback but he was forced to take a back seat to Northampton flanker, Josh Kemeny. His 32nd-minute try was a weaving thing of wonder as he stepped his way past four Sale defenders for the bonus-point try.
Two minutes earlier, at 19-7, the Saints spurned a straightforward penalty to take them two scores-plus clear of Sale. When Kemeny danced his way to the fourth try you could see why they eschewed the three points. In a close game it can be wise to take every point on offer. But at half-time, 26-7 ahead, this was a rout in the making.
Sale needed something special to start the second half. All they got was a not-straight throw by England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie. Mitchell then accidentally (and close to the ground) caught the head of Aaron Reed. Credit to the referee, Christophe Ridley, who adjudged the incident the blameless accident it was.
Hendy followed up his hat-trick in the defeat of Viacom Bulls in the Champions Cup with two tries here
DAVID ROGERS/GETTY IMAGES
There was nothing accidental about the home side’s fifth try. Fin Smith cross-kicked near his line, stretched the Sale defence and popped up again, this time making a marvellous delayed break and sending Hendy stepping his way to his second try. It was a thing of beauty. Not so pretty was Hendy’s intercept pass in his own 22, picked off by the ever-sharp O’ Flaherty for his second try, in the 54th minute.
Hendy was substituted soon after, along with Pollock. Phil Dowson obviously thought the game was over despite the O’Flaherty lifeline try. An Aaron Reed walk-in after Sale had bashed the Saints pack into midfield surrender cut the gap to 12 points.
George Furbank restored what felt like sanity with a dexterous 61st-minute touchdown, converted by Smith from wide out. One England fly half was missing in Ford but Smith was offering a mouthwatering alternative. But that is country matters. At club level Northampton have a pair of half backs who can steer them towards the sharp end of the club game in both England and Europe.
As for Sale, on the evidence of this fourth consecutive Prem defeat they need more than Ford to feature in the play-offs. A late try from Tom Pearson, dynamic and direct, summed up the gulf between struggling Sale and the “Shoe Army” who head to Bath next week for the biggest Prem game of this season to date.
Northampton: Tries Pollock (4min), Hendy (11, 46), Thame (16), Kemeny (32), Furbank (60), Pearson (77). Cons F Smith (5, 16, 33, 47, 61, 78). Sale: Tries OFlaherty (23, 53), Reed (57), Reed. Cons R Du Preez (24, 54, 58). HT 26-7.
Northampton G Furbank, G Hendy (O Sleightholme 55min), T Thame (sin-bin 56), F Dingwall (T Freeman 61), E Todaro, F Smith, A Mitchell (T James 73), E Iyogun (D Fischetti 51; Iyogun 76), C Wright (R Smith 45), T Davison (C Kundiona 51), A Coles, JJ van der Mescht (C Munga 66), J Kemeny, T Pearson, H Pollock (C Chick 55).
Sale A Reed (O Davies 66), T O’Flaherty, J Bedlow, M Louw, A Wills, R Du Preez, R Quirke (G Warr 52), S McIntyre (T Onasanya 58), L Cowan-Dickie (N Jibulu 54), W John (J Harper 41), T Burrow (D Du Preez 50), B Bamber, J Vermeulen, E van Rhyn, T Curry (T Woodman 61).
Referee Christophe Ridley (RFU).