Bok scores big as Sharks whitewash Bristol

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PREMIERSHIP WRAP: Sale Sharks stopped free-scoring Bristol in their tracks with a stunning 38-0 whitewash at Ashton Gate on Friday to go third in the tournament standings.

Victory would have taken Bristol top of the table above west country rivals Bath.

But Sale never looked back after scrumhalf Raffi Quirke set the tone when he breached Bristol's defence inside three minutes.

Bristol had collected a try-scoring bonus point in each of their last nine league games, equalling the Premiership record.

Sale, in stark contrast, were without a point of any description on their travels this term, but those statistics were shredded on a spectacular night for Alex Sanderson's team.

Tom Roebuck added a second try before half-time before Ben Curry's interception score sealed the win early in the second period.

Tom O'Flaherty secured a bonus point 14 minutes from time.

Centre Rob du Preez kicked three penalties and three conversions, while flyhalf George Ford dropped a goal as Sale's statement win served notice of their title credentials.

* In other Round Nine action England star Marcus Smith will face off against Springboks stalwart Handre Pollard in Big Game 16, which takes place at Twickenham on Saturday.

Former Harlequins player Mike Brown starts for Leicester Tigers as he faces his old team.

Elsewhere, Northampton Saints tackle Newcastle Falcons on Saturday, with Exeter versus Gloucester on Sunday.

All the weekend action ...

Bristol 0-38 Sale Sharks

The scorers

For Bristol
None

For Sale Sharks
Tries: Quirke, Roebuck, B Curry, O'Flaherty
Cons: R du Preez 3
Pens: R du Preez 3
DG: Ford

Yellow cards: Harry Randall (Bristol, 21), Sam Bedlow (Sale Sharks, 80)

Teams

Bristol Bears: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Jack Bates, 13 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 Sam Worsley, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Fitz Harding (captain), 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Joe Owen, 4 James Dun, 3 Max Lahiff, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Ellis Genge.
Replacements: 16 Gabriel Oghre, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 George Kloska, 19 Jamie Hodgson, 20 Ben Grondona, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 James Williams, 23 Benjamin Elizalde.

Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Rob du Preez, 12 Luke James, 11 Tom O'Flaherty, 10 George Ford, 9 Raffi Quirke, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Ben Curry (captain), 6 Tom Curry, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Bevan Rodd.
Replacements: 16 Ethan Caine, 17 Si McIntyre, 18 WillGriff John, 19 Josh Beaumont, 20 Jean-Luc du Preez, 21 Gus Warr, 22 Sam Bedlow, 23 Sam Dugdale.

Referee: Adam Leal
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Calum Howard
TMO: Dean Richards

Saturday

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Teams

Bath: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Cameron Redpath, 11 Will Muir, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Ben Spencer (captain), 8 Alfie Barbeary, 7 Guy Pepper, 6 Ted Hill, 5 Charlie Ewels, 4 Quinn Roux, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Tom Dunn, 1 Beno Obano.
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ross Molony, 20 Sam Underhill, 21, Louis Schreuder, 22 Max Ojomoh, 23 Miles Reid.

Saracens: 15 Liam Williams, 14 Tobias Elliott, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Olly Hartley, 11 Rotimi Segun, 10 Fergus Burke, 9 Gareth Simpson, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Toby Knight, 6 Theo McFarland, 5 Nick Isiekwe, 4 Maro Itoje (captain), 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Jamie George, 1 Phil Brantingham.
Replacements: 16 Kapeli Pifeleti, 17 Eroni Mawi, 18 Alec Clarey, 19 Harry Wilson, 20 Nathan Michelow, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Sam Spink, 23 Angus Hall.

Referee: Karl Dickson
Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum, Jamie Leahy
TMO: Peter Allan

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Teams

Northampton Saints: 15 George Hendy, 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Fraser Dingwall (captain), 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell, 8 Henry Pollock, 7 Tom Pearson, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 Alex Coles, 4 Chunya Munga, 3 Trevor Davison, 2 Henry Walker, 1 Tom West.
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Tarek Haffar, 18 Luke Green, 19 Temo Mayanavanua, 20 Angus Scott-Young, 21 Iakopo Mapu, 22 Archie McParland, 23 Rory Hutchinson.

Newcastle Falcons: 15 Ben Redshaw, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Alex Hearle, 12 Connor Doherty, 11 Ben Stevenson, 10 Brett Connon, 9 Sam Stuart, 8 Callum Chick (captain), 7 Tom Gordon, 6 Freddie Lockwood, 5 Kiran McDonald, 4 Sebastian de Chaves, 3 Richard Palframan, 2 Jamie Blamire, 1 Murray McCallum.
Replacements: 16 Ollie Fletcher, 17 Micky Rewcastle, 18 Callum Hancock, 19 John Hawkins, 20 Philip van der Walt, 21 Hugh O'Sullivan, 22 Kieran Wilkinson, 23 Oli Spencer.

Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales, Wayne Falla
TMO: Dean Richards

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Teams

Harlequins: 15 Nick David, 14 Rodrigo Isgro, 13 Oscar Beard, 12 Luke Northmore, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care, 8 Alex Dombrandt (captain), 7 Jack Kenningham, 6 James Chisholm, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Irne Herbst, 3 Titi Lamositele, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Fin Baxter.
Replacements: 16 Sam Riley, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Chandler Cunningham-South, 21 Will Evans, 22 Will Porter, 23 Jarrod Evans.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Mike Brown, 13 Dan Kelly, 12 Solomone Kata, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Olly Cracknell, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 George Martin, 4 Cameron Henderson, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Julián Montoya (captain), 1 Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 James Whitcombe, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Jed Holloway, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Joseph Woodward.

Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys, Greg MacDonald
TMO: Andrew Jackson

Sunday

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Teams

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Josh Hodge, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Ben Hammersley, 12 Tamati Tua, 11 Tommy Wyatt, 10 Henry Slade, 9 Stu Townsend, 8 Greg Fisilau, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Ethan Roots, 5 Richard Capstick, 4 Dafydd Jenkins (captain), 3 Marcus Street, 2 Dan Frost, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Jack Innard, 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke, 18 Josh Iosefa-Scott, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Ross Vintcent, 21 Tom Cairns, 22 Will Haydon-Wood, 23 Zack Wimbush.

Gloucester: 15 Santi Carreras, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Josh Hathaway, 10 Gareth Anscombe, 9 Tomos Williams, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Lewis Ludlow (captain), 6 Jack Clement, 5 Matias Alemanno, 4 Freddie Thomas, 3 Kirill Gotovtsev, 2 Seb Blake, 1 Mayco Vivas.
Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Cam Jordan, 20 Albert Tuisue, 21 Caolan Englefield, 22 Chris Harris, 23 George Barton.

Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant referees: Anthony Woodthorpe, Gareth Holsgrove
TMO: David Rose