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Northampton bounced back from their derby disappointment in style as they trounced Sale 47-17 in the Gallagher Premiership, with Ollie Sleightholme scoring two of their seven tries.
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Where Northampton were wasteful in defeat at Leicester last Saturday, they were lethal against the Sharks at Franklin’s Gardens, where they crossed six times in the first half.
It also meant their winning run at home will now extend beyond a year, with Saints racking up an 18th consecutive victory on their own patch on a night Sale will want to quickly put behind them.
Sale were forced into a late change on their left wing with 20-year-old Alex Wills coming in for Tom O’Flaherty, who had a hamstring injury, to make his first Premiership start.
Rob du Preez’s second-minute penalty opening the scoring for the Sharks, but Northampton were soon on the board when Fin Smith’s grubber kick was missed by Sale full-back Joe Carpenter, allowing Tommy Freeman to get the ball down and score.
Northampton were over again in the eighth minute when Freeman charged onto Rory Hutchinson’s ball inside before timing his pass outside to put captain George Furbank in the clear.
The Sharks momentarily got themselves back in the game as a driving maul led to Luke Cowan-Dickie scoring to reduce the gap to 12-10.
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However, the visitors’ night fell apart after Wills was sent to the sin bin for taking George Hendy out in the air, with Northampton going on to score three tries in six minutes.
James Ramm, a blood replacement for Furbank, set up the first two, his long pass giving Sleightholme a walk-in before the winger’s kick ahead bounced kindly for the Australian allowing him to put Tom James in the clear.
That was the bonus point in the bag for the Saints after 24 minutes and try number five followed when Tom Roebuck missed Smith’s kick to the left wing to gift Sleightholme his second of the match.
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There was still time for one more score for the hosts before half-time as Hendy intercepted Waisea Nayacalevu’s pass to run in unopposed, taking the score to 40-10 at the break.
Sale had the first try of the second half as the forwards worked the visitors to under the Northampton posts before Du Preez’s pass gave Carpenter an easy finish.
Superb defence by Henry Pollock to hold up Gus Warr then prevented the Sharks scrum-half from pulling back another score before Roebuck denied Sleightholme a hat-trick at the other end by tackling him into touch.
Any question of a Sale comeback was silenced in the 61st minute when yet more loose play from the visitors led to Ramm, now on permanently, gliding through a gap to go clear for Northampton’s seventh try of a successful night.
