Second-half Fightback Gives Leicester Win Over Sale

Emeka Ilione scored two second-half tries for Leicester Tigers against Sale Sharks [Getty Images]

Gallagher Premiership, Welford Road

Leicester (16) 44

Tries: Radwan, Hassell-Collins 2, Ilione 2 Cons: Pollard 5 Pens: Pollard 3

Sale (26) 34

Tries: Cowan-Dickie, Ma'asi-White, Reed, R du Preez 2 Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford

Leicester Tigers scored four second-half tries to come from behind and beat Sale Sharks for a crucial win in the race for the Premiership play-offs.

Adam Radwan scored Tigers' first try but Sale had control at the break after Luke Cowan-Dickie, Rekeiti Ma'asi-White, Arron Reed and Rob du Preez earned them an early bonus point and a 26-16 half-time lead.

Leicester responded quickly after the interval with two tries from winger Ollie Hassell-Collins, and when replacement back-row Emeka Ilione added their fourth try the game looked won.

Rob du Preez immediately scored his second try to bring the visitors back to 37-34 but with the final play of the game Ilione was driven over to deny Sale a losing bonus point.

Victory in what was a wonderful game consolidates Leicester in second in the table, now seven points clear of third-placed Sale with two games remaining.

Leicester travel to Bath before hosting Newcastle Falcons, while Sale, who lost Tom Curry in the first half with a leg injury, host Bristol Bears before a trip to Exeter Chiefs on the final day.

It was Sale who struck first as they drove Cowan-Dickie over, but Leicester responded instantly as quick hands from centre Joseph Woodward put Handre Pollard in space and he sent Radwan in for his eighth try in as many games.

Pollard kicked a penalty before the visitors went back in front when Ma'asi-White picked a great line to burst through the defence and step off his right boot to go under the posts.

Pollard added two more penalty kicks before the interval but his accuracy from the tee was overshadowed by the creativity of George Ford in setting up Sale's third and fourth tries.

First, Ford saw space down the left, dummied and darted through a gap before he passed inside to send Reed under the posts, and, with the clock in the red, Ford's delayed pass gave Rob du Preez a walk in to send Sale into the break with a 10-point lead.

Tigers got back into the game after half-time as Freddie Steward made good ground after collecting a loose ball before Pollard sent a cross-field kick for Hassell-Collins to collect and sprint into the left corner for his 11th try of the season.

Sale then spilled a long line-out deep in their own 22 and Leicester seized their chance, stressing the Sharks defence before Hassell-Collins collected a loose ball, stepped back on the inside and accelerated to the line.

And when Ilione won a turnover penalty that led to him being driven over for Tigers' fourth try, victory looked very likely at 37-29 ahead.

But Leicester lost the restart, Sale swung the play left, and Rob du Preez powered through the defence and stepped inside the final defender to reduce the deficit to just three.

It was not enough for a losing bonus though as Leicester opted for the corner from a kickable penalty and Ilione was driven over with the final play of the game.

Leicester Tigers head coach Michael Cheika told BBC Radio Leicester:

"The most pleasing thing for me was I got to experience Welford Road going crazy. It was finals intensity from the start, close to Test match intensity.

"First half we gave away a few tries and the last one was like we were already in the dressing room.

"The guys had their heads down at half-time and I was a bit surprised. They'd done OK, physically we were in the game and we'd done well with the ball, we just lacked a bit of defence but they were simple fixes."

Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya (c), Heyes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Cronin, Cole, Rogerson, Ilione, Youngs, Shillcock, Kelly.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Rob du Preez (c), Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Bamber, Hill, van Rhyn, T Curry, JL du Preez.

Replacements: McElroy, McIntyre, John, Andrews, B Curry, D du Preez, Quirke, O'Flaherty.

Sin-bin: Hill (79).

Referee: Matthew Carley.