Saracens v Sale: Sarries thrash Sale in Champions Cup
Last Updated: 10/12/16 8:21pm
Saracens claimed their 12th European win in a row with a convincing 50-3 demolition of Sale at Allianz Park on Saturday.
Marcelo Bosch, Sean Maitland (two), Jamie George, Chris Wyles and Richard Barrington all touched down for the rampant Saracens while Owen Farrell added 13 points with the boot before Alex Lozowski took over kicking duties.
A sole Alan MacGinty penalty accounted for all of Sale's points in the heavy defeat by the reigning champions.
Saracens were bolstered by the return of their England contingent from autumn duty and responded by seizing control of Pool Three with a bonus-point victory numbering six tries despite the driving rain.
George, Farrell, Mako Vunipola and George Kruis returned to Saracens' starting XV, but it was lock Maro Itoje who starred with an influential shift that saw him named man of the match.
Farrell, who successfully kicked three penalties and two conversions, was replaced just seconds after the interval, Lozowski coming on despite the England playmaker not appearing to have suffered an injury.
The result leaves Saracens just one match short of equalling Munster's tournament record of 13 successive wins.
Sale had three players sent to the sin-bin and in the 53rd minute the task before them grew even bigger when Australian giant Will Skelton stepped off the bench to make his debut for the hosts having been signed on a short-term contract.
Mark McCall's double winners used their driving maul to force an early penalty that was slotted by Farrell and were denied a try soon after when wing Josh Charnley executed a magnificent try-saving tackle on Richard Wigglesworth.
Wigglesworth's authority was stamped all over the opening quarter and in the 17th minute he conjured a try for Bosch.
Brad Barritt sucked in defenders with a robust carry and Wigglesworth arrived to dart through a gap at the breakdown and bided his time before sending Bosch over.
Saracens would have grabbed a second try had Alex Goode not been offside when Farrell brilliantly steered a kick off the side of his foot for the full-back to touch down.
Farrell was flattened off the ball by No 8 Laurence Pearce, who was sent to the sin bin as a result, but England's fly-half exacted revenge when he helped orchestrate a dynamic try for Maitland coming off the right wing.
Sale's defence splintered too easily and Maitland was able to glide through the gap in midfield opened by the hosts' quick hands, coasting over the whitewash.
The half ended with a long-range penalty by Bosch and when play restarted the Sharks were once again reduced to 14 men with lock Jonathan Mills sent to the sin-bin for a line-out offence.
George finished a powerful Saracens drive and in the 51st minute the bonus point was secured when Goode stabbed a kick to the left wing for Wyles to grab and touch down.
The floodgates opened as Maitland plotted a mazy path over the whitewash and replacement prop Barrington burrowed over from close range to complete the rout.
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