Sale run Exiles ragged

Sale Sharks started their LV= Cup campaign with a 39-14 bonus-point victory over London Irish at Edgeley Park.

The Sharks lost 39-26 in last Sunday's Aviva Premiership clash between the sides at the Madejski Stadium but this time it was the Exiles on the receiving end as the home side ran in six tries.

Homegrown youngster Tom Brady put Sale on their way with a ninth-minute score before Fergus Mulchrone (two) and Iain Thornley also went over to establish a 25-0 interval lead.

Rhys Crane and Chris Leck added further tries in the second half against an understrength Irish outfit showing 12 changes to the side that started last weekend's match.

There was a youthful energy about Sale that Irish struggled to cope with during the opening 40 minutes and Rob Miller's long-range penalty put them ahead inside the second minute.

The Sharks began to ask questions of the Irish defence and in the ninth minute their enterprise was rewarded when Brady grounded in the left corner.

Stand-in skipper Paul Williams missed the conversion and moments later Sale were dealt a blow when Brady sustained what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

He was replaced by Thornley but the momentum remained with the home side and the second try arrived when Williams' fine burst cut the Irish defence apart and he showed intelligence to send Mulchrone scampering clear.

Williams added the extras but Irish could have been off the mark five minutes later when fly-half Chris Malone saw his penalty attempt rebound off a post.

Two minutes before the break, Sale scored their third try when Miller's superb long pass allowed Mulchrone to crash over for his second in the left corner.

Mulchrone then unselfishly put Thornley over in the same spot on the stroke of half-time and shortly before the hour Crane capitalised on a defensive mistake to break away from inside his own half to score.

Miller converted and added the extras again when replacement scrum-half Leck sauntered clear for a try with 13 minutes remaining.

Irish claimed a long-range breakaway try from Marland Yarde which Malone converted before Sale's replacement prop Karena Wihongi was sent to the sinbin late on.

The Exiles had the final say when Chris Hala'ufia went over in the dying embers of the game and Malone kicked his second conversion.

The scorers:

For Sale:
Tries: Brady, Mulchrone, Thornley, Crane, Leck
Cons: Williams, Miller 2
Pen: Miller

For London Irish:
Tries: Yarde, Hala'ufia
Cons: Malone 2

Sale Sharks: 15 Paul Williams, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Chris Bell, 12 Fergus Mulchrone, 11 Rhys Crane, 10 Rob Miller, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Asaeli Boko, 7 Neil McMillan, 6 Chris Brightwell, 5 Sean Cox, 4 Chris Jones, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Marc Jones, 1 Lee Imiolek.
Replacements: 16 Ben Roberts, 17 Aston Croall, 18 Karena Wihongi , 19 Daniel Hall, 20 Carl Fearns, 21 Will Cliff , 22 Matty James, 23 Iain Thornley.

London Irish: 15 Jamie Lennard, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 Elvis Seveali'i (c), 12 Guy Armitage, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Chris Malone, 9 Darren Allinson, 8 Chris Hala'ufia, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Kieran Roche, 5 Matt Garvey, 4 Gary Johnson, 3 James Tideswell, 2 David Paice, 1 Dan Murphy.
Replacements: 16 Brian Blaney, 17 Alex Corbisiero, 18 Paulica Ion, 19 Kieran Low, 20 David Sisi, 21 Jonathan Joseph, 22 Sam Edgerley, 23 Alfredo Lalanne.

Referee: JP Doyle (England)