Sale demolish Dragons to book home Challenge Cup quarter-final
By Tony Tighe
Last Updated: 22/01/16 9:11am
Sale secured a home quarter-final in the Challenge Cup courtesy of a 38-5 bonus-point victory over the Dragons at the AJ Bell Stadium.
The Sharks crossed for three tries during a dominant first-half performance, England squad member Josh Beaumont scoring on the stroke of half-time to give them a 24-0 advantage at the break.
Danny Cipriani was flawless from the tee, kicking 11 points, and he produced a moment of individual brilliance to create Sale's fourth try on 47 minutes.
The Dragons suffered in the set piece, conceding a penalty try at the scrum and faltering in the lineout, and this defeat ended their hopes of home advantage in the last-eight.
The Welsh region had won their previous two fixtures against English opposition, including a 30-12 success over Sale last November, but they were comprehensively outplayed in this one-sided contest.
The visitors' defence held firm during some early Sale pressure but they had Wales international Hallam Amos sin-binned on 10 minutes for a deliberate knock-on and the Sharks capitalised.
Cipriani opened the scoring from a penalty and the first try arrived on 13 minutes when Sale worked a five-man overlap down the right wing, prop Brian Mujati diving over in the area Amos would have been defending.
Magnus Lund was held up over the line from a driving lineout on 18 minutes but Sale were awarded a penalty try from the next play to give them a 17-0 lead.
Mike Haley and Sam James both went close on the half-hour, the TMO ruling out an effort from the latter and also a powerful drive from Andrei Ostrikov in the 40th-minute as the Sale onslaught continued.
But the home side were not to be denied and Beaumont peeled away from the back of a scrum to twist his way over, Cipriani again adding the extras for a 24-0 interval lead.
The bonus point was secured on 47 minutes after classy play from Cipriani. The fly-half dinked a kick behind the Dragons defence, regathered the ball and sent wing Neville Edwards over in the corner for his third try in four European outings.
Cipriani made it five successful kicks from five with the conversion and with victory all but assured, he departed the fray as Sale emptied their bench.
The Dragons scored a consolation on the hour mark, an Adam Hughes break setting up Ashton Hewitt off a set play, but Sale finished the stronger and full-back Mike Haley put the seal on an impressive display with their fifth try on 77 minutes.
