Premiership as it happened: Sale climb into top four with Leicester win, Bath beat Newcastle

Updated 10/05/2024 at 22:12 GMT

WATCH THE GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP LIVE ON TNT

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But that’s all from us tonight! We’ll be back tomorrow with those three pivotal fixtures – all live on TNT Sports and discovery+ – as the breathless Gallagher Premiership Run In continues.

WHAT NEXT FOR SALE, BATH, LEICESTER AND NEWCASTLE?

We’ve still got plenty of action to come this Gallagher Premiership weekend on TNT Sports and discovery+, but for the four sides in action tonight there’s only one more round of the season to go.

Starting with the losers, Falcons have one more chance to avoid a winless season after today. The good news is that it’s against Gloucester, second-bottom of the league with nothing to play for domestically and their EPCR Challenge Cup final against Hollywoodbets Sharks just six days later.

For Leicester, tonight’s defeat means they’re relying on South Africans to lift that trophy to stop Gloucester getting the final English qualifying place for next season’s Investec Champions Cup and sending it to the East Midlands instead.

Sale most likely require victory over Saracens on a mouthwatering final-day showdown, while Bath face Northampton in a clash that’s second versus first right now.

With playoff rivals Bristol and Harlequins playing each other on the last day of the season, Finn Russell’s side could lose and still make the final four – but that will depend on the results in tomorrow’s triple-header.

VIDEO: TUILAGI BIDS FAREWELL

And this was the moment that the smiling assassin left the Salford Community Stadium pitch for the final time.

VIDEO: TUILAGI SMASH OPENS SALE SCORING

Talk about setting the tone! Tuilagi running over Ollie Hassell-Collins created the chaos for Gus Warr to score Sale’s first try en route to a bonus-point win.

TUILAGI: WE USED OUR EMOTIONS THE RIGHT WAY

Manu Tuilagi’s sometimes frustrated fans in his time in Salford, but he was one of the standout players today and could yet play a huge part in securing that elusive Premiership title for Sale.

But speaking to TNT Sports and discovery+ post-match, there was no questioning how much this club means to him as he prepares to depart for Bayonne:

Just getting the win and the five points was massive. We enjoyed tonight.””I’ve loved it here, four years it seems like I only came here yesterday and it’s been home for me. I’ve got two boys here actually, my two boys were born here so I’ve got little northerners.

“Emotion is a good thing, to experience all kinds of emotion means you’re living and it was all good emotions today, we used it the right way. We didn’t go overboard with it, it was perfect.”

VIDEO: RUSSELL BACK LIKE HE’D NEVER LEFT

Finn Russell was back in the starting XV for Bath just five weeks after the injury that looked like it could end his season. Brian O’Driscoll gave him the big build-up on TNT Sports and discovery+ before Bath took on Newcastle Falcons tonight, and the great Scot didn’t disappoint.

As Bath drew level with Northampton Saints at the top of the table, he was back conducting the attack like he never left and also navigated some difficult touchline kicks to slot all four conversions.

VIDEO: SAM JAMES WORLDIE SETS UP BONUS POINT

While we’re on the subject, this was the Sam James kick that allowed Tom O’Flaherty to seal the bonus point:

VIDEO: ‘ONE OF THE BIGGEST ROARS OF THE SEASON’

And here’s the try that gave Sam James that fairytale farewell:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Scoring a try and setting up another, Sam James made sure his final game at the Salford Community Stadium was a memorable one and spoke to TNT Sports and discovery+ after collecting his richly deserved Player of the Match award:

“I’ve grown up as a fan, I’ll always be a fan. I know everybody in this place – lovely people, humble people, I’m gutted I’m going but these are a class group and they’ll go on to do big things.

“I’m not too much of an emotional person but it caught me off guard at the end there. I’ve got my whole family here.

I’m just happy to do them proud, that’s all.”It’s been must-win games probably from about four or five games ago now, we’re glad we put in a performance tonight and it’s onto the next one next week.”

ALEX SANDERSON: I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE

Sale Sharks Director of Rugby announced a three-year contract extension live on TNT Sports and discovery+ after the final whistle, to overwhelming cheers from the Salford Community Stadium after yet another bonus point victory:

“We just keep racking them up, we’ve got one more to go next week to give us the opportunity to get into the semis.

“I can’t be more proud of this group and for Sam to finish off here, for Manu to play as well as he did, Cobus as well was phenomenal, I’m just so delighted and privileged to be with this group and I honestly feel we’ve got some momentum now.

You’d be stupid to bet against us.””Great things happen all at once but good things take time. We’ve been grafting at it since Christmas, since the Six Nations when we’ve rebuilt, Fordy coming back in, he obviously shifted England’s attacking game and he’s brought that back into our game.”

So with Bath, Sale, Leicester and Newcastle all having played an extra game, here’s how the Gallagher Premiership table looks – and it’s still impossible to call

1. Northampton Saints (Points difference +43) – 55 points

3. Sale Sharks (+16) – 52

5. Bristol Bears (+140) – 49

7. Exeter Chiefs (+61) – 45

8. Leicester Tigers (+9) – 40

9. Gloucester (-145) – 27

10. Newcastle Falcons (-338) – 5

STILL TO COME THIS WEEKEND

Did you like that? If so, you’ll love the triple-header we’ve got coming up tomorrow!

Northampton v Gloucester, Bristol v Saracens and Exeter v Harlequins are all live on TNT Sports and discovery+, and they’re all hugely important in the battle for the playoffs, as you’ll see very soon.

We’ve already heard from Sam James and Manu Tuilagi is speaking to TNT Sports now, it’s a real end-of-term feeling at the Salford Community Stadium.

We’ll bring you that reaction, and the best of the tries from tonight, next as they kicked off a potentially decisive Gallagher Premiership weekend on discovery+.

WATCH THE GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP LIVE ON TNT

REPORT: SALE AND BATH CONTINUE PLAYOFF CHASE WITH WINS

Sale Sharks heaped pressure on Bristol Bears, Saracens and Harlequins with a deserved bonus-point 31-22 victory over Leicester Tigers as Alex Sanderson’s side continued their attacking rebirth to move into the playoff places.

In almost certainly Sale’s last home game of the season, club stalwart Sam James had the fairytale ending before departing in the summer, he scored an immensely popular try and also set up Tom O’Flaherty’s bonus-point score with a sumptuous kick.

Sanderson announced a three-year contract extension as Sale director of rugby immediately after the final whistle, early tries from Gus Warr and Tommy Taylor helped condemn Leicester to a pointless defeat as they chase Investec Champions Cup qualification for next season.

Dan Cole, Matt Scott and George Martin crossed for Dan McKellar’s side but they were distinctly second-best as familiar face Manu Tuilagi also ran riot on his final home game for Sale too – Tigers will be relying on Hollywoodbets Sharks beating Gloucester in the Challenge Cup final to secure that final English Champions Cup spot.

Bath also continued their charge for the playoffs against Newcastle Falcons, securing the bonus point in a rampant first half before holding off a late home comeback to move up to second-place in the table.

ALEX SANDERSON ANNOUNCES EXTENSION

And completely out of the blue, Alex Sanderson has announced a three-year contract extension on the pitch post-game, live on TNT Sports and discovery+!!!

FULL TIME: SALE SHARKS 31-22 LEICESTER TIGERS

Sam James was fighting back the tears as the clock ticked down, his long career at the Salford Community Stadium is almost certainly at an end – but what a way to go out.

His try helped Sale to a bonus-point victory over Leicester Tigers that keeps them alive in the playoff race, they outclassed the visitors who barely fired a shot in the second half and return to the Midlands empty-handed.

FULL-TIME: NEWCASTLE 17-28 BATH

The full-time whistle has sounded in Newcastle, and it’s job done for Bath. Despite a scoreless first-half, the four first-half tries were enough to secure the full compliment of points at Kingston Park, while Falcons have just one more shot at taking their first victory of the season.

They’re without the ball, without enough points and will remain without a win this season. Bath are seeing out the clock in Newcastle.