George Ford helps Sale end Leicester’s Premiership defence to reach final | Premiership

They don’t mind telling you that northern rugby matters at Sale but there can be no more compelling evidence than this. For Sale Sharks edged a thunderous encounter, the kind of clash of which the titans would be proud, to take their place in their first Premiership final since 2006. It was a performance of blood and thunder, equally so from Leicester, but ultimately the Sharks had George Ford in their ranks this season and the Tigers did not.

Ford was nigh-on flawless, delivering the kind of individual showing that England will take note. Manu Tuilagi wasn’t far behind while Tom Curry began in fearsome fashion and somehow found another gear after a nasty hamstring to brother Ben that will surely rule him out of the final. That their two tries were scored by two local lads in Tom Roebuck and Arron Reed will also delight their director of rugby Alex Sanderson.

Leicester, for their part, were equally committed, just as physical and can be proud of how they have defended their title in a season in which they have been so disrupted by the loss of Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield. They were not helped beforehand by the loss of Handrè Pollard to injury, either, and the away curse continues in the Premiership playoffs.

The tempo was ferocious from the off and rarely let up. Leicester enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges – Sale repeatedly getting on the wrong side of the referee Wayne Barnes and shipping five penalties in the opening 12 minutes. Jimmy Gopperth kicked two of them to nudge the Tigers ahead but Sale, to their credit, righted the ship and built their way into the match.

Tuliagi ran hard and straight and with the kind of oomph that will please Borthwick. Afforded front foot ball, Ford began to pull the strings. He almost prised the opening on the left but Sale stayed camped in Leicester territory and while Akker van der Merwe fluffed his lines, Roebuck made no mistake on the right after a smart pass from Rob du Preez. Ford converted to edge Sale ahead.

Tempers were never far from flaring – Tom Curry clearing Hanro Liebenberg out of the way by dumping him on the turf led to a brief melee – before Sale lost his brother Ben to a horrible looking injury. He had just made a crucial turnover with Leicester building a head of steam but collapsed to the floor in agony as three Tigers cleared him out. He left on a stretcher in obvious pain and was seen on crutches afterwards.

Sale battled on without their captain and Tuilagi’s influence was growing on proceedings. Tommy Reffell made a key turnover near his own line to deny Sale a second try but Dan Cole was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on Van der Merwe in the buildup. As Du Preez threatened on the right touchline, however, Ben Youngs scrambled to keep him out.

Buoyed by that rearguard, Leicester began the second half the brighter and while Jasper Wiese was kept out after a smart lineout move, Harry Potter rounded off a sustained period of pressure following a delightful long pass from Dan Kelly. Gopperth converted for a three-point led but a Ford penalty soon levelled the scores.

Ford grew in stature thereafter and caused Leicester significant problems with his spiral kicks. It was also he who threw the telling pass – albeit a rank one – to Reed for Sale’s second try after the Sharks had bashed away at the Leicester defence. Ford missed the conversion but the replacement scrum-half Raffi Quirke then appeared to give Sale a lead that would have taken some overturning, only for the last pass from Reed to be adjudged forward.

A fine Ford penalty from the upper reaches of his range gave Sale a crucial eight-point lead with 10 minutes remaining and any hopes of a dramatic Leicester comeback were extinguished when the replacement fly-half Charlie Atkinson fluffed his lines when kicking a late penalty to the corner.