Leicester close in on top two after dominant win at Sale secures playoff berth

Leicester Tigers moved within one point of second-placed Bath after a seven-try bonus-point victory at Sale Sharks, securing a playoff place and strengthening their bid for a top-two finish.

Joe Heyes began his post-match press conference reflecting on scoring during his 100th Leicester start and concluded by enthusiastically discussing butchering wild animals with teammates, highlighting the unity within the squad.

Geoff Parling’s side confirmed their playoff spot with the win, their first at Salford since 2018, setting up a decisive final-day clash at Bath that could determine second place.

Leicester ran in seven tries against a Sale team whose playoff hopes had already ended. Heyes capped a period of pressure with their fourth try just before halftime.

The Tigers, coming off a 41-17 victory over Northampton, exuded confidence and physicality before easing off in the final quarter, allowing Sale three consolation tries. The result, however, was never in doubt.

Heyes, who delivered an outstanding performance, said: “It’s no amazing secret recipe, but the lads are hanging out more with each other off the pitch than at any time since I’ve been here.”

“We’re playing golf and on Thursday we did a wild butchery course, provided by the Rugby Players Association, and were butchering wild deer and rabbits. I’ve got eight legs in a big chest freezer and I enjoy it even though I’ve got a bit of a weak stomach. But there’s a massive connectivity there and it showed again today.”

For Sale, the season cannot end soon enough. Alex Sanderson’s side are the only team to have reached the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons, but the 2025-26 campaign has been a major regression for a club that last won a trophy with their sole Premiership title in 2006.

The latest setback means Sale have lost four consecutive home league games for the first time, though Sanderson took solace in a strong finish that secured a losing bonus point.

“Had the game lasted for another 10 minutes, we could have won that,” Sanderson said. “I’m never happy with a loss, particularly at home, but the lads never threw in the towel, they dug in and there was a brilliant impact from the bench. We played a brand of rugby that we’re going to lean into and get better at. Yes, there was frustration during the first half but I’m quite proud of the boys for digging in as they did against a very good team.”

Leicester’s forwards dominated from the start, combining for the opening try less than two minutes in. Hanro Liebenberg charged down the left channel, found Ollie Hassell-Collins, who sent Ollie Chessum sprinting over the line.

Sale, boosted by the return of Tom Curry from a calf injury for his first appearance since January, responded impressively initially.

George Ford, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, Joe Carpenter and Tom O’Flaherty combined in a move that ended with England wing Tom Roebuck touching down.

Leicester, however, asserted control, and their forward power produced close-range tries from Jamie Blamire and Joaquin Moro.

Sale had brief bursts of momentum, with Raffi Quirke’s quick penalty-tap creating space for flanker Jacques Vermeulen to crash over, but it proved a false dawn.

Leicester pressed again, and Heyes barged over for their fourth try just before halftime.

Sanderson replaced Quirke with Gus Warr at the break, but Leicester maintained their energy, scoring a fifth try two minutes into the second half when Will Wand grounded the ball at pace.

Sale Sharks: Carpenter; Roebuck (Davies 72), James, Ma’asi-White, O’Flaherty (Reed 51); Ford, Quirke (Warr 41); Opoku-Fordjour, Longstaff (Austin 59), Harper (Bell 56), Van Rhyn, Bamber, Vermeulen (Andrews 44), Dugdale, Curry (Kelly 51). Tries: Roebuck, Vermeulen, Van Rhyn, Dugdale, Reed.

Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Wand, Bailey (Whiteley 57), Hassell-Collins; O’Connor (Kata 12), Van Poortvliet; Smith (Van der Flier 51), Blamire (Clare 51), Heyes (Hurd 51), Martin (Henderson 51), Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Moro (Cracknell 49, Watson 72). Tries: Chessum, Blamire, Moro, Heyes, Wand, Hassell-Collins, Van der Flier.

Referee: Hamish Smales. Attendance: 7,251.

Leicester’s sixth try came in the 55th minute, a well-worked effort. Orlando Bailey, who replaced the injured James O’Connor early on, found Adam Radwan, whose long pass sent Hassell-Collins over in the left corner.

Five minutes later, Archie van der Flier touched down inside the right channel before Sale added tries from captain Ernst van Rhyn, flanker Sam Dugdale and Arron Reed to gain a semblance of respectability.

Parling said: “We’ve got to celebrate this win and our destiny is in our own hands. We’ve now confirmed in the top four and to win here for the first time since 2018, a place where a lot of the players haven’t won before, is a big moment so let’s enjoy it.”