LONDON — Sale Sharks held on to defeat Saracens 21-17 in London to secure their first win of the Prem campaign, surviving a 20-minute red card to Jacques Vermeulen and a late Saracens rally.
Sale led 7-5 at half-time after Nathan Jibulu's converted try cancelled out Eroni Mawi's opener for Saracens, with Tom O'Flaherty racing in soon after the break to extend the lead. Sione Va'Enuku cut the gap for the hosts, but Ben Bamber's decisive third try stretched Sale's advantage to 11 points before Charlie Bracken's late score made it 21-17. Conversions came from George Ford (2) and Alex Lozowski for Sale, with Fergus Burke converting for Saracens.
Saracens had numerical superiority for 27 minutes of the first half yet struggled to break down a stubborn Sharks defence. Alex Lozowski was shown a yellow card before Vermeulen received a 20-minute red card, but Sale defended resolutely and took their chances to lead at the interval and then pull clear in the second half.
Saracens lined up with Elliot Daly, Jack Bracken, Nick Tompkins, Va'Enuku and Rotimi Segun in the backs, with Mawi, Theo Dan and Marco Street in the front row alongside Maro Itoje (c), Hugh Tizard, Nick Isiekwe, Juan Martin Gonzalez and Alfie Barbeary. Sale started with Joe Carpenter, O'Flaherty, Joe Marchant, Lozowski and Arron Reed, with Ford and Gus Warr at half-back, and a pack featuring Bevan Rodd Smith, Jibulu, Asher Opoku-Fordjour, Ernst van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Courtney Lawes, Ben Curry and Vermeulen.