HEINEKEN CUP POOL THREE Sale (16) 16 Tries: Hanley Cons: Hodgson Pens: Hodgson 2, van Straaten Leinster (13) 23 Tries: McWeeney, Burke Cons: O'Meara 2 Pens: O'Meara 3

The Sharks had gone ahead thanks to some solid kicking from fly-half Charlie Hodgson and a Steve Hanley try.

But Sale's luck changed when Hodgson left the field injured after trying to stop John McWeeney touching down.

A second try from Brendan Burke sealed the points and took Leinster to the top of Pool Three.

The Dublin side were boosted by fly-half Christian Warner's return from injury and Gordon D'Arcy proved a useful deputy at outside centre for the sidelined Brian O'Driscoll.

But it was the Sharks who raced into the lead thanks to their efficiency at set-pieces and the reliable boot of England international Hodgson.

Losing Hodgson was a major blow and it showed in our performance Sale coach Jim Mallinder

Winger Steve Hanley swooped on a rebound from Shane Horgan's attacking kick and sprinted over the line after just six minutes.

Hodgson then put over the conversion and kicked two penalties to put Jim Mallinder's side 13-3 ahead.

But Leinster were not to be underestimated and they missed several opportunities to punish Sale after Warner had created a gap in the home side's defence.

They made no mistake when Horgan sent winger McWeeney clear to score a try in the 27th minute.

Hodgson, the drop-goal hero in Sale's 23-22 win in Dublin last weekend, added to Leinster's turn of fortune when he left the field on the 35th minute after aggravating a long-term knee injury.

We've still got to win at Biarritz but it's in our hands Leinster coach Gary Ella

His replacement Braam van Straaten was less accurate with the boot and that was to prove costly for Sale.

The Lions had their own injury troubles with flanker Eric Miller taken off a half-time and number eight Victor Costello limping off four minutes after the break.

But it did not put the Irish side off their stride as scrum-half Brian O'Meara kept Leinster well in the hunt with a conversion and two penalties.

D'Arcy then sliced past his opposite number Chris Mayor and sent winger Burke over to put Leinster in front.

Sale forced the visitors to tough it out in defence in the match's closing stages but it was not enough to stop Leinster taking a healthy three-point lead over Biarritz at the top of the group.

Sale: Robinson, Cueto, Mayor, Bond, Hanley, Hodgson, Redpath, Yates, Cairns, Turner, Fullarton, Schofield, White, Sanderson, C. Jones.
Replacements: Going for Mayor (68), van Straaten for Hodgson (35), Stewart for Turner (67), Lund for Schofield (56).
Not Used: Roddham, Day, Wigglesworth.