Leicester Tigers set their sights on a top-two finish after a dominant seven-try performance saw them thrash Sale Sharks 47-33 at the CorpAcq Stadium, securing a Premiership playoff place.
Joe Heyes, who scored on his 100th Leicester start, highlighted the team's unity after the match, revealing that players have been bonding through activities such as golf and a wild butchery course. “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,” Heyes said.
Leicester climbed to within a point of second-placed Bath with the bonus-point victory, their first win in Salford since 2018. The result confirmed a playoff berth and sets up a final-day showdown at Bath that could decide second place.
Match Highlights
Leicester’s forwards dominated from the outset, with Ollie Chessum opening the scoring after less than two minutes. Hanro Liebenberg and Ollie Hassell-Collins combined to send Chessum over the line. Sale responded through Tom Roebuck, but Leicester’s forward supremacy yielded close-range tries for Jamie Blamire and Joaquin Moro.
Sale’s Jacques Vermeulen briefly reduced the deficit, but Heyes barged over for Leicester’s fourth try just before half-time. After the break, Will Wand scored within two minutes, and further tries from Hassell-Collins and Archie van der Flier sealed the win. Sale added late tries through Ernst van Rhyn, Sam Dugdale, and Arron Reed to secure a losing bonus point.
Sale's Struggles
For Sale, the season cannot end soon enough. Alex Sanderson’s side, who had reached the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons, have suffered a major regression in 2025-26. This loss marked their fourth consecutive home league defeat, a club first. Sanderson remained defiant: “Had the game lasted for another 10 minutes, we could have won that. I’m never happy with a loss, particularly at home, but the lads never threw in the towel.”
Leicester head coach Geoff Parling praised his team’s performance: “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 is a big moment.”
