Premiership: Leicester 19-11 Sale - Tigers beat Sharks for sixth straight win

England discard George Ford kicked 14 of Leicester's 19 points

Premiership leaders Leicester maintained their flying start to the season as they beat Sale Sharks to make it six wins from six.

Hanro Liebenberg's converted try and two further Ford penalties, to one by Wilkinson, stretched them clear.

But when Curtis Langdon went over for a late try, Sale blew a losing bonus point from Tom Curtis' missed kick.

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Having also won their final Premiership game last season, Tigers' run of seven wins is now their best run since 2014.

But having run in seven tries at Sixways to demolish struggling Worcester last weekend, this was a much harder slog against a Sale side who last week beat champions Harlequins.

Although left out of Eddie Jones' England squad for the Autumn Nations Series, Tigers outside-half Ford was Leicester's match-winner.

The 77 times-capped international kicked well from hand and the tee to help Leicester into a six-point lead at the top going into next weekend's meeting with third-placed East Midlands rivals Northampton.

But it was his long-time half-back partner Ben Youngs who set up the Tigers' only try, brilliantly drawing in the Sale defence before delivering the scoring pass to South African international flanker Liebenberg, who showed pace and power to touch down wide out.

Sale's late reply, when replacement hooker Langdon got over from a rolling maul, came too late to affect the outcome.

Their next challenge is taking on bottom-of-the table Worcester next weekend at Sixways.

Leicester: Steward; Potter, Scott, Kelly, Nadolo; Ford, B Youngs; Genge (capt), Montoya, Cole, Wells, Green, Liebenberg, Van Staden, J Wiese.

Replacements: Dolly, Leatigaga, Heyes, Martin, Reffell, Wigglesworth, Burns, Moroni.

Sale: Hammersley; McGuigan, Tuilagi, Van Rensburg, Yarde; Wilkinson, Warr; Rodd, Taylor, Schonert, C Wiese, De Jager, Ross (capt), T Curry, JL du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, Harrison, Oosthuizen, JP du Preez, B Curry, Thomas, Curtis, S James.

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).

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