Overview
- After trailing 17-12 at half-time, Sale ran in 31 unanswered points to seal a seven-try, bonus-point victory on Boxing Day.
- Jacques Vermeulen scored twice in quick succession early in the second half and drove the momentum shift with powerful carries and breakdown work.
- The win ends Sale’s four-match Premiership losing streak and lifts them closer to the play-off positions.
- Harlequins’ slump deepened to six defeats in eight league games, including a Marcus Smith error that allowed Raffi Quirke to poach Sale’s sixth try.
- Director of rugby Alex Sanderson pointed to a straightforward interval message and superior physicality after a frank owners’ meeting earlier in the week.