Raffi Quirke leads rampant Sale to demolish Bristol in statement win

Yesterday at 06:38 PM

• Bristol 0-38 Sale
• Sharks score four tries to move into playoff places

Sale stopped free-scoring Bristol in their tracks as they moved into the Premiership playoff places with a stunning 38-0 victory at Ashton Gate. Bristol had high hopes of going top above west country rivals Bath, but Sale did not allow them any time or space on the ball and Bears' trademark running game hit the buffers.

The scrum-half Raffi Quirke set the tone when he breached Bristol's defence inside three minutes, and the Sharks never looked back. Tom Roebuck added a second try before half-time, then the captain Ben Curry's interception score sealed the deal midway through the third quarter, before Roebuck's fellow wing Tom O'Flaherty secured a bonus point 14 minutes from time.