Sale 43 – 17 Harlequin

Sale Sharks comprehensively defeated Harlequins in Prem Rugby’s Boxing Day match, with Alex Wills, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jack Vermeulen (two), Lekaity Maasi-White, Raffi Quirke and Nathan Gibble each scoring tries. Marcus Smith and Jack Walker score tries for Quins in defeat

Sale Sharks comprehensively defeated Harlequins on Boxing Day, with Jack Vermeulan scoring twice

Sale defeated fellow strugglers Harlequins 43-17 at Salford’s Cooptuck Stadium to earn a bonus point victory and decisively end a four-game losing streak in Prem rugby.

Alex Sanderson’s Sharks suffered the last of four defeats against Northampton eight days ago, but they finally got back on track and handed Harlequins a heavy defeat.

The Londoners’ hopes of making the play-offs were already beginning to fade after losing six of their eight league games this season, but the win reignited Sale’s prospects for a top-four finish.

Harlequins took a 17-12 lead with tries from Marcus Smith and Jack Walker, but Sale ran riot in the second half with first-half goals from Alex Wills and Luke Cowan-Dickie.

Jacques Vermeulen scored twice in quick succession to seal the bonus point, while Lekaity Maasi-White, Raffi Quirke and Nathan Gibble also scored touchdowns as Sale scored 31 points without scoring in the second half.

England internationals George Ford, Bevan Rodd and Joe Carpenter returned to Sale’s line-up as manager Sanderson made five changes to his squad following last week’s 47-21 away defeat to Saints.

James Harper and Hyron Andrews also returned to the XV, strengthening a squad with Tom Curry in eighth place.

Meanwhile, Quins suffered a crushing 40-14 defeat to Bristol Bears at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium last weekend.

However, after winger Rodrigo Isgro was denied in the right-hand corner, Smith recovered the ball in the second minute and dove in from close range to take an early lead and force Sale into a cold.

Smith scored a try of his own, but Sale responded strongly and unmarked Wills with a superb try in the eighth minute. After some good work from Ford, Rob du Preez played a great pass to Wills, who crossed into the left corner.

Ford missed the conversion, Smith gave Quins a penalty and Cowan-Dickie fell from close range to give Sale his second try.

This time Ford converted to give Sale a 12-10 lead, but Quins had Walker score from a lineout just before half-time and Smith’s conversion made it 17-12 at the break.

The second half was a one-way affair, with flanker Vermeulen taking center stage in the third quarter of the game, scoring two finishes within eight minutes.

This sealed the bonus point, with Maasi-White scoring the fifth goal with great handling before scrum-half Raffi Quirke capitalized on a mistake to score Sale’s sixth goal.

There was still time for replacement hooker Gibble to crash in from close range as Sale celebrated their return to victory in style.

For Sale, Ford and du Preez each scored two conversions, while for Harlequins Smith had two conversions and one penalty.