Saracens have picked up the intensity. An excellently worked passage of play is broken up by a forward pass. Sale have a scrum on their own 10.

8 minutes into the second half and neither team appear to look threatening. Play is centralised around the halfway.

Referee Jerome Garces sounds his whistle bringing this tightly-fought opening 40 minutes of play to a close. Saracens will almost certainly be ruing that golden opportunity squandered by David Strettle in the opening passages of the game. However, with only 3 points in, it's very much all to play for in the second half.

Penalty for Sale as Mako Vunipola is penalised for going off his feet at the breakdown. Nick Macleod makes no mistake with the resulting penalty.

It's taken 36 minutes, but Saracens have finally their first try of the game. A well worked link-up play was enough to release Alex Goode who touches down in the corner. Farrell misses the subsequent penalty.

More frustration for Saracens builds as a highly promising play is broken up by some excellent work from Sale on the ground.

Concussion precautions.

TRY! Sale crash over for the first try of the game. It is the veteran Nathan Hines who uses his height to reach over the peak of the ruck to touch down for the visitors.

Injury?

Sale are penalised once again for holding on. Farrell capitlises once again and extends the lead.