Lee Thomas and Hal Luscombe had a running battle at Edgeley Park

Sale (7) 20
Tries: Jones, Ripol
Cons: Hodgson 2
Pens: McAlister, Hodgson

Harlequins (6) 13
Try: Fuga
Con: Jarvis
Pens: Jarvis 2

Sale recorded their fifth Premiership win in six games with a hard-fought victory over Harlequins.

The home side scored early with Chris Jones' close-range try but despite an error-strewn opening from Quins, Sale went in at the break only 7-6 ahead.

Luke McAlister's kick increased Sale's lead before Oriol Ripol scored a second try after Mark Cueto's stunning break.

But Quins never gave up and substitute Tani Fuga bundled over on 67 minutes to give the visitors a bonus point.

Sale have not lost at home in the Premiership since last April and their victory was the perfect response to their defeat by London Irish at the start of the month.

The game was delicately poised at 10-6 in the 53rd minute when diminutive Spanish winger Ripol collected Rory Lamont's pass and plunged over in the left corner after Cueto's incisive run from deep.

The defeat continues Harlequins' recent worrying run of form, with just one win in their last 13 games.

But the dogged nature of their display will be a source of encouragement for rugby director Dean Richards.

"It was a nice counter-attack by Mark Cueto and a good pass from Rory Lamont."

Saint-Andre on the succession of penalties awarded against prop Andrew Sheridan at the scrum:
"He is the most punished prop in the Premiership and it's starting to become a problem. Four or five times in the scrum it happened - and Sheridan is punished every time."

"We finished seventh last year and we are still on course to improve on that but this is a young side with an average age of 24 and we've showed great spirit."

Sale: Mark Cueto; Rory Lamont, Luke McAlister, Lee Thomas, Oriol Ripol; Charlie Hodgson, Richard Wigglesworth; Andrew Sheridan, Sebastien Bruno, Stuart Turner, Chris Jones, Dean Schofield, Jason White, Magnus Lund, Sebastien Chabal
Replacements: Neil Briggs, Eifion Roberts, Sean Cox, Nathan Bonner Evans, Sililo Martens, Chris Bell, Chris Mayor

Harlequins: Mike Brown; David Strettle, Hal Luscombe, Tosh Masson, Tom Williams; Adrian Jarvis, Danny Care; Ceri Jones, Gary Botha, Mike Ross, James Percival, Nicolas Spanghero, Chris Hala'ufia, Will Skinner (capt), Tom Guest.
Replacements: Tani Fuga, John Brooks, George Robson, Paul Volley, Andy Gomarsall, Ugo Monye, De Wet Barry.