Match Report: Exeter Chiefs 26 – 30 Sale Sharks

Chiefs secured a bonus point in a losing effort against Sale Sharks in their final match of the 2024/25 season at Sandy Park.

A difficult first half was followed by a vengeful resurgence in the second half as Rob Baxter’s men looked to launch a comeback. However, Sale converted their every opportunity confidently and were not to be overcome as they hunted down their play-off berth.

Fly-half George Ford put his side on the scoresheet almost immediately when he elected to take a shot at goal with a penalty on the Exeter 10 metre line after two minutes played.

In the 19th minute, Chiefs’ top try-scorer this season, Paul Brown-Bampoe, scored the game’s first try. A looping spin-pass from new centurion Harvey Skinner to Josh Hodge got the Chiefs on the front-foot. With Brown-Bampoe the option outside of him, the full-back quickly passed to give his winger the sprint into the line.

There was concern for Tommy Wyatt who remained on the ground from the original breakdown of the play as Henry Slade narrowly missed the conversion. After medical attention however, Wyatt was able to walk from the field unaided as Will Haydon-Wood came on as an early replacement.

Sale reclaimed the lead almost immediately with another penalty, meaning just a single point separated the two sides after 22 minutes played.

The opposition added a try three minutes later. Centre Rekeiti Ma’asi-White slipped a tackle attempt by Slade on the edge of the Chiefs 22 and cantered through clean space to score beneath the posts. Ford secured the quick conversion.

Prop Bevan Rodd was released with a pop-pass in the 22 to score Sale’s second shortly after and Ford’s conversion took his side to a clean 20-points.

Chiefs were handicapped with a minute left to play when Ethan Roots was shown a yellow card for an infringement at the maul. They were halted when Chiefs took the penalty on the Sharks’ next attempted drive for the line and the half drew to its close.

Half-time: Chiefs 5 – 20 Sale

Chiefs came out with a clear focus in the opening stages of the second half. Baxter’s men spent the period camped on the Sale five metre line and although Sharks looked certain to keep them out, Chiefs found a way to score. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t technical, but a pass flung out to the wing after a melee in the middle of the 22 found Hodge for the run-in.

Just inches in from the touchline, the full-back converted his own score.

Ford quickly saw to widening the gap on the scoreboard with another penalty kick, making the Chiefs’ comeback requirements two converted tries.

There was adulation as Chiefs scored a third by tearing through the Sale line. Quick-paced and clean interplay between the backs released Haydon-Wood who stormed his way over.

Hodge called for noise from the grandstand as his conversion from five metres in-field split the uprights to bring the Chiefs within four points.

There were boos ringing around Sandy Park when former Chief, Luke Cowan-Dickie scored Sale’s third try by muscling over the line from inches out. Ford’s conversion lengthened Sale’s points gain to 31-points.

Sale thought they had ripped the ball in their own half and stormed to a bonus-point try on 73 minutes but there was a TMO check. The tackle from replacement scrum-half Gus Warr on Haydon-Wood which had stripped the ball was high and the Sale man was sent to the bin.

The comeback surged in the dying minutes when the big, bulking figure of Richard Capstick hit full speed to launch his body over the line in the corner for a bonus-point try. With Hodge’s conversion, a try would have sealed the win.

Agonisingly for Chiefs, a pass into touch with the clock in the red robbed them of the chance. So, to Sale’s delight, the whistle was sounded, and the Manchester side had sealed their place in the play-offs as Chiefs’ season drew to a close.

Full-time: Chiefs 26 – 30 Sale

Chiefs: J Hodge; P Brown-Bampoe (Vintcent 40’), H Slade, T Tua, T Wyatt (Haydon-Wood 20’); H Skinner, S Townsend; K Blose (Sio 56’), J Yeandle (c) (Frost 56’), J Iosefa-Scott (J Roots 56’), R Tuima (Tshiunza 65’), F Molina, J Vermeulen (Moloney 65’), R Capstick, E Roots.

Replacements: Cairns

Tries: Brown-Bampoe, Hodge, Haydon-Wood, Capstick Conversions: Hodge 23

Yellow card: Ethan Roots

Sale: J Carpenter (James 71’); T O’Flaherty, R du Preez, R Ma’asi-White, A Reed (Wills 73'); G Ford, R Quirke (Warr 58’); B Rodd (McIntyre 56’), L Cowan-Dickie (McElroy 70’), A Opoku-Fordjour (John 56’), E van Rhyn, J Hill (Bamber 70’), JL du Preez, B Curry (c), D du Preez (Dugdale 50’).

Tries: Ma’asi-White, Rodd, Cowan-Dickie Conversions: Ford 3 Penalties: Ford 3

Yellow card: Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Gus Warr

Referee: Christophe Ridley