Sale (13) 19
Tries: Ripol
Cons: Hodgson
Pens: Hodgson 3
Drops: Hodgson

A late penalty by Shaun Berne with three minutes to go helped clinch a hard-earned win for Bath over Sale.

Bath took an early 12-0 lead after tries for Pieter Dixon and Matt Banahan but the visitors, led by Charlie Hodgson's kicking, hit back.

Two Hodgson penalties put Sale 19-15 ahead early in the second half.

Berne cut the gap to one point with a 58th-minute penalty and kicked another which edged Bath in front before Hodgson missed a late drop goal effort.

"When we did get it right we did it beautifully and if we play for 80 minutes we'll take some stopping.

"The trouble is other sides keep coming at you and if you double up on your errors you give momentum to the opposition.

"The most promising aspect of today from our point of view was that we kept fighting and put enough pressure on Sale for us to win the game."

Bath: Stephenson, Banahan, Higgins, Cheeseman, Davey, Berne, Claassens, Barnes, Dixon, Jarvis, Short, Grewcock, Beattie, Scaysbrook, Browne.
Replacements: Hawkins, Ward, Purdy, Faamatuainu, Goodman, Walshe, Cuthbert.

Sale: Foden, Mayor, Bell, Thomas, Ripol, Hodgson, Wigglesworth, Faure, Briggs, Turner, Schofield, Cox, C. Jones, Tait, Bonner-Evans.
Replacements: M. Jones, Evans, Day, Lund, Martens, Genaro, Hanley.

Referee: Andrew Small (RFU)