Gloucester fight back for deserved win over Sale

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• Published4 minutes ago

The Prem

Gloucester (7) 21

Tries: Loader, C Atkinson 2 Cons: Barton 3

Sale (12) 15

Tries: Longstaff, O'Flaherty Cons: Ford Drop-goal: Ford

Gloucester fought back to beat Sale Sharks 21-15 at Kingsholm and secure their first back-to-back Prem wins of the season.

Alfie Longstaff's early score and Tom O'Flaherty's breakaway try put Sale 12-0 ahead, but Ben Loader's reply was the least Gloucester deserved for their expansive approach.

The hosts lost Wales star scrum-half Tomos Williams to a shoulder injury early in the second half, but Charlie Atkinson's close-range snipe and George Barton's second conversion soon had them in front.

George Ford's 45-metre drop-goal put Sale back in front at 15-14, but Atkinson went over for his second try with four minutes left to finally secure the win.

A fourth league win of the season boosts Gloucester's hopes of qualifying for next season's European Champions Cup and gives them a nine-point buffer over ninth-placed Harlequins, who visit bottom side Newcastle Red Bulls on Sunday.

More to follow.

Gloucester: Barton; Joseph, Llewellyn, S Atkinson, Loader; C Atkinson, Williams (c); Rapava Ruskin, Blake, Fasogbon, Clark, Alemanno, Thomas, Venter, Trenholm.

Replacements: Innard, Bleuler, Knight, Eite, Gwynne, Clement, Englefield, Edwards-Giraud.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Louw, Ma'asi-White, O'Flaherty; Ford, Warr; McEachran, Longstaff, Opoku-Fordjour, Andrews, Bamber, van Rhyn (c), Vermeulen, Dugdale.

Replacements: Austin, Onasanya, Harper, Woodman, Kelly, Hanson, L James, Reed.

Referee: Sara Cox.

Related topics

• Sale
• Gloucester
• Rugby Union