Sale survived a shaky start and finish to beat the Blues and claim their first Heineken Cup win of the season.
Ben Blair and Leigh Halfpenny helped kick the visitors into a 9-3 lead but Sisa Koyaimabole claimed Sale’s first try without conclusively going over. Dean Schofield quickly added a second before the break and James Gaskell added a third after the restart.
Andy Powell and Robin Sowden-Taylor did claw late tries back for the Blues but it was not enough to snatch the win.
The Blues started with purpose and attacked from the off.It did not take long to make their early dominance count when full-back Blair kicked two penalties after the hosts were punished for infringements in the ruck.
Wales winger Halfpenny then missed the chance to extend the Blues’ lead further sending a penalty from his own half wide, before Lee Thomas missed one for Sale.
When the home side tried to attack, they found it difficult to break down a solid Blues defence but did start to find openings and impose some physicality.And their first points on the board came 15 minutes before the break thanks to Charlie Hodgson’s simple kick in front of the posts for the Blues’ failure to roll away.
Halfpenny restored the Blues’ six-point lead kicking a penalty from 52m four minutes later, moments after missing a second long-range attempt.
But Sale finally broke through the visitors’ defence going into the break with two quick tries.The first was controversial though as back-rower Koyaimabole was adjudged to have crossed despite video replays proving inconclusive. Hodgson converted.
It was to get worse for the Blues before play was re-started when prop Powell was yellow-carded for a late tackle in the build-up to that try.But there was no doubt about the second which came from a scrum from Tom James’ careless knock-on.
James Gaskell made a fine break straight down the middle into the 22 and captain Schofield powered over for a converted try to make it 17-9.
The Blues were left stunned and could have conceded a third thanks to a brilliant 80m attack from Mark Cueto, Nick McLeod, Thomas, Mark Jones and Eifion Lewis-Roberts.
But the third try did come three minutes after the restart when Koyaimabole’s inside feed from the scrum found Gaskell to burst through for another seven points.
Sale were in total control, but the Blues finally found some composure and and got the try they desperately needed on 50 minutes when Powell drove over from a line-out, with Blair converting.
Hodgson kept the Blues in the hunt sending a penalty against the post and the Blues got themselves into a losing bonus point position with 15 minutes to go through Blair’s kick.
That was taken away almost immediately when Hodgson sent over a drop goal but they got it back right at the death.
Halfpenny was denied in the corner and from the resulting deep line-out flanker Sowden-Taylor went over with Blair closing the gap to one point.
Sale held on, but at a cost as they lost Sheridan to a shoulder injury after going down in a scrum.
