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Leicester Tigers held off a late Sale Sharks rally, to win 21-16 and book their place in the Gallagher Premiership Final next Saturday.
Radwan (20', 28'), Perese (67')
Tries
Preez (57')
Conversions
Ford (57')
Pollard (7', 52')
Penalties
Ford (18', 46', 65')
Leicester Tigers held off a late Sale Sharks rally, to win 21-16 and book their place in the Gallagher Premiership Final next Saturday.
They will face longtime league leaders Bath, who beat Bristol Bears on Friday. Leicester are chasing their 12th English title, while Bath are in pursuit of a sixth and their first since 1996.
Victory also keeps alive the possibility that Michael Cheika will end his season as Tigers coach with the English title in his collection.
Adam Radwan twice, and Izaia Perese scored tries for Leicester, while double World Cup winner Handre Pollard knocked over two penalties.
For Sale, George Ford scored three penalties and converted Rob du Preez’s try that threatened a late comeback.
CAGEY START
The first 20 minutes were a slog. Box kicks went high, and Ford targeted Ollie Hassell-Collins on Leicester’s left wing in the expectation that Joe Roebuck would dominate him in the air.
Pollard showed his class with a penalty to open the scoring and then saw space behind Sale’s defence to put in a 50-22 kick that the hosts were unable to capitalise on.
Ben and Tom Curry were their usual nuisances at the breakdown, and their work allowed Ford to kick them level.
It didn’t last long and when Jack van Poortvliet spied space on Leicester’s right wing he picked out Adam Radwan, who cut back inside to score.
Ben Curry broke the Tigers’ defence soon after but lacked support. Defences were on top and with two packs led by Julian Montoya and Luke Cowan-Dickie, the breakdown was fiercely contested.
Leicester edged ahead just before the half hour. After the forward pack hammered the line, Pollard picked out Radwan in the corner with a crosskick. It was on the money, and while Radwan needed to dive to score in one flowing move, it made it even better.
DRAWING LEVEL
Ford knocked over the first points of the second half to close to within a score. Pollard responded with his second, making no mistake after missing both conversions in the first half.
Sale continued to labour, and Gus Warr came on to try and inject some pace. It paid dividends after a series of penalties took the Sharks into Tigers’ territory and eventually du Preez looped around Ford to go between the posts.
Ford’s conversion and third penalty brought Sale level, and soon after Perese hit a fantastic line off Ben Volavola’s pop pass to race through the Sharks line and score with a flourish.
Sale came again and Freddie Steward, who enjoyed another strong showing, teamed up with Volavola to stop Jean Luc du Preez, while substitute Ben Youngs - on for his definitively final professional match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road – brought an element of control.
Cheika tried to show his calm as the clock ticked down, something not helped when Pollard shanked a match-winning drop kick wide.
Sale made one last charge, but Steward came up again with a tackle on Cown-Dickie. Referee Matthew Carley checked its legality and eventually ruled in Steward’s favour to end the match and add another chapter to one of English rugby’s oldest rivalries.
