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Gloucester emphatically end Sale's recent Premiership resurgence
By PA
Wales international back Max Llewellyn scored two tries as Gloucester emphatically ended Sale Sharks’ recent Gallagher Premiership resurgence with a 36-20 victory at Kingsholm. Llewellyn struck in each half, with Gloucester securing a five-point maximum to keep themselves in play-off contention.
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Sale’s hopes of securing a fourth successive Premiership win floundered on an outstanding first-half display by Gloucester that produced touchdowns for Llewellyn, full-back Santi Carreras and wing Josh Hathaway.
Sale trailed 22-3 after 26 minutes and it proved too much for them to claw back despite tries from skipper Ben Curry, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and wing Tom Roebuck, while centre Rob du Preez kicked a penalty and conversion.
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Llewellyn’s 60th-minute score and a late Tomos Williams touch down saw Gloucester home, with Carreras completing an accomplished performance by landing a penalty and four conversions for a 16-point haul.
Sale suffered a late blow when scrum-half Raffi Quirke was withdrawn as an injury precaution so Gus Warr deputised, with Nye Thomas on the bench. Gloucester immediately put them on the back foot, striking with a stunning 80-metre try after just five minutes.
They moved possession wide inside their own 22, with Hathaway making a touchline surge before finding centre Chris Harris in support. Williams then took the move on at pace before Carreras applied an emphatic finish.
Sale then had more to think about when they infringed at a scrum and Carreras landed a straightforward penalty chance that left the visitors eight points adrift. A du Preez penalty opened Sale’s account but Gloucester were immediately back into their stride as they pounced for a second try after 21 minutes.
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Quality lineout possession quickly found its way into midfield and Llewellyn moved in from his wing to carve Sale’s defence open on a weaving run, with Carreras’ conversion making it 15-3. Hathaway had a try disallowed following a forward pass by Williams but Sale were in disarray and their defence was breached again after Sharks lock Jonny Hill went off injured.
The Gloucester forwards almost drove over from a close-range lineout and Sale simply ran out of tacklers as the ball went wide to Hathaway, who crossed in the corner and Carreras converted.
Sale needed to cut their arrears before the interval and after Gloucester prop Mayco Vivas had been yellow-carded, a prolonged spell of pressure was rewarded through Curry touching down following a lineout.
Du Preez’s conversion left the Sharks 12 points behind at half-time but the picture looked considerably brighter for them than it did when Gloucester were cutting loose.
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Gloucester fly-half Gareth Anscombe, sporting an ice pack around his left knee, did not appear for the second period, with George Barton going on and Carreras moving to number 10 instead of the Wales international.
Sale camped inside Gloucester’s 22 for much of the third quarter and Gloucester had a second player sin-binned when lock Arthur Clark drifted offside at a maul. Clark had barely left the action when Sale pounced for a second try, courtesy of a powerful lineout drive that ended with Cowan-Dickie going over.
But having done the hard work, Sale were then their own worst enemy as du Preez’s pass was intercepted by Gloucester captain Lewis Ludlow, who sent Llewellyn across for his second try that secured a bonus-point.
Carreras converted yet Sale quickly announced they were not finished as slick passing delivered a try for Roebuck and meant Gloucester held a nine-point lead entering the closing 15 minutes. Sale could not hit back again, though, and Williams’ breakaway solo effort took Gloucester past 30 points.
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