Bath beat Sale in thriller to reach Premiership final

Gallagher Premiership semi-final

Bath: (18) 31

Tries: Hill, Obano, Annett Pens: Russell 4 Cons: Russell 2

Sale: (15) 23

Tries: B Curry, Taylor, O'Flaherty Pens: Ford 2 Cons: Ford

Bath beat Sale 31-23 in an enthralling semi-final to set up a Premiership final against Northampton Saints.

Replacement Niall Annett’s 74th-minute try sealed a dramatic victory at the Rec for Bath, who finished bottom of the league two seasons ago.

Tries from Ted Hill and Beno Obano were cancelled out by scores for Sale captain Ben Curry and Tommy Taylor as the home side held a slender half-time lead.

Sale briefly led in the second half through winger Tom O’Flaherty’s try, but Bath fly-half Finn Russell’s 16 kicked points proved pivotal as the teams were separated by just one point with less than 10 minutes on the clock.

Annett’s late score ultimately clinched a fascinating semi-final played at an electric pace, with the league’s top two now set to face off for the title at Twickenham on 8 June.

More to follow.

Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Du Toit; Roux, Ewels; Hill, Underhill, Barbeary

Replacements: Annett, Schoeman, Stuart, Stooke, Bayliss, Schreuder, Bailey, Reid

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, S James, R du Preez, O'Flaherty; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Taylor, Harper; Wiese, Van Rhyn; B Curry (c), Dugdale, JL du Preez

Replacements: Creevy, McIntrye, John, Bamber, Ellis, Quirke, L James, T Curry

Referee: Luke Pearce