Premiership Highlights: Bristol Bears Vs Sale Sharks

The Sale Sharks claimed an impressive 20-13 away victory of the log leading Bristol Bears in round 8 of the Premiership. Sale picked up a yellow card 16 minutes in, with Jono Ross sent to the sin bin for playing the lineout jumper in the air. Bristol capitalised immediately as Bryan Byrne crashed over off the back of a strong maul to lead 7-0. AJ MacGinty kicked Sale onto the scoreboard with a penalty midway through the first half. Sale managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over, slotting a further two penalties to take a slender 9-7 lead into the halftime break. A fourth successful Sale penalty extended the lead out to 12-7 heading into the final quarter of the match. Ioan Lloyd reduced the deficit back to two points with a penalty after 63 minutes of play. Ten minutes later Bristol had their noses in front thanks to another Lloyd penalty making it 13-12. With around  five minutes remaining, a MacGinty cross kick saw Simon Hammersley control it with his boot back inside which Sale regathered to storm to just 5m out from the Bristol line. Sale kept it tight before a beautiful skip pass from MacGinty saw him send man of the match Luke James over in the right hand corner to see the Sharks reclaim the lead 17-13 with under three minutes to play. MacGinty would seal the deal for Sale with a penalty as the final act of the match.