Leicester fight back to beat Sale in battle for Premiership play-offs

LONDON: Ollie Hassell-Collins and Emeka Ilione both scored two tries as Leicester beat Sale 44-34 on Friday to strengthen their push for a home Premiership semi-final.

The bonus-point victory takes the second-placed Tigers seven points clear of third-placed Sale with two league games remaining, one of which is a home fixture with bottom club Newcastle.

The top four sides qualify for the end-of-season play-offs, with home advantage going to the top two sides in the final league table.

Bath are 10 points clear at the top while Bristol are currently in fourth spot.

Sale lost newly selected British Lion Tom Curry to a leg injury as they matched their opponents with five tries but the exemplary goal-kicking of Handre Pollard proved the difference.

Pollard missed nothing, kicking three penalties and five conversions, with Adam Radwan also on Leicester´s try-scoring sheet.

Rob du Preez scored two of Sale´s tries, with Luke Cowan-Dickie, Rekeiti Ma´asi-White and Arron Reed also crossing and George Ford converting three and adding a penalty. Sale deservedly led 26-16 at half-time and began the second half strongly but crucially missed a couple of opportunities to score.

Hassell-Collins made them pay when he collected a cross-field kick from Pollard to finish in style and minutes later he scored his second after a mazy run to the line.

Sale trailed by just a point with 18 minutes remaining but their errors and ill-discipline cost them as Ilione finished off a driving line-out, though the visitors immediately replied with a second try for Du Preez.

In the final minute, Sale lock Jonny Hill was sin-binned and Tigers took full advantage when Ilione again finished off a driving line-out to leave Sale with just a single point.