- King Charles's Scottish retreat could become wedding venue
- Sundar dazzles with seven wickets as New Zealand 259 all out
- US unveils national security memorandum on AI
- Venezuelan opposition figures win EU's top rights Sakharov prize
- Bagnaia on 'mission' to overhaul Martin in MotoGP title fight
- Four arrested over Vinicius abuse before Madrid derby
- European stock markets climb, oil jumps
- Blinken meets Qatari emir in Gaza mediation push
- AI and digitalisation to eliminate 9,000 jobs at Intesa Sanpaolo
- Sajid takes six as England dimissed for 267 in third Test
- Sundar bags seven as India bowl out New Zealand for 259
- Ireland fines LinkedIn 310 mn euros over EU data breach
- Puccini exhibit charts making of a modern music star
- Smith's 89 leads England fightback to 242-8 at tea in third Test
- France kicks off Lebanon aid conference with 100-mn-euro pledge
- Commonwealth leaders to push for slavery reparation conversation: BBC
- New models help Renault maintain sales in third quarter
- India spinners strike but Ravindra, Conway help N. Zealand to 201-5
- Putin warns against 'illusory' attempts to defeat Russia
- Japan rookie Saigo takes one-shot lead at LPGA in Kuala Lumpur
- Blinken in Qatar for Gaza mediation push
- Israeli army says hit Hezbollah arms facilities
- Hermes bucks trend to post rising sales
- Rabada 'a superstar' as South Africa crush Bangladesh
- 'Idiot' Schauffele cards quadruple bogey at Zozo Championship
- Barclays profits rise on UK, investment banking gains
- New Zealand airport sets three-minute limit on hugs
- More than a million Indians flee as cyclone approaches
- South Africa cruise to seven-wicket win in Bangladesh Test
- Taiwan's TSMC stops shipments to client after chips sent to Huawei
- Ashwin strikes as New Zealand 92-2 at lunch in second India Test
- 'Fake news' of Pakistan rape ignites real protest movement
- Picky protection rules hamper Swiss mushrooming craze
- Abortion film shows impact of Texas ban ahead of US election
- 'Monster' Inoue set for Christmas cracker against Australian Goodman
- East DR Congo grapples with Chinese gold mining firms
- Bucks cruise past depleted Sixers, Suns rally past Clippers
- Argentine police raid hotel where Liam Payne fell to death
- Rabada-inspired S. Africa need 106 to win Bangladesh Test
- European leaders meet to re-energise offshore wind power
- Blinken heads to Hamas mediator Qatar on Gaza truce push
- China sees little relief from trade tensions as US goes to the polls
- Philippines races to reach stranded as storm's death toll rises
- More than food: Seoul gentrification threatens free meal centre
- Inter and Juve face off after contrasting fortunes in Champions League
- King Charles sips narcotic kava drink, becomes Samoan 'high chief'
- New Japan PM sweats for majority in snap election
- Bucks cruise past depleted Sixers to open NBA campaign
- Boeing workers reject contract, extend strike: union
- Botafogo blast five past Penarol in Libertadores semi
CMSD | -0.69% | 24.76 | $ | |
NGG | 0.23% | 66.44 | $ | |
BCC | 0.19% | 133.91 | $ | |
AZN | -0.48% | 76.95 | $ | |
SCS | -2.73% | 12.47 | $ | |
RIO | -1.54% | 64.49 | $ | |
RBGPF | 0.02% | 63.01 | $ | |
BTI | -0.52% | 34.71 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.39% | 24.64 | $ | |
GSK | -0.05% | 37.98 | $ | |
JRI | -0.15% | 13.05 | $ | |
RYCEF | -0.28% | 7.27 | $ | |
RELX | -0.43% | 46.82 | $ | |
BCE | -0.33% | 33.21 | $ | |
BP | -0.86% | 31.31 | $ | |
VOD | -0.95% | 9.46 | $ |
Sale stun Saracens to secure play-off spot despite Tuilagi injury
Sale overcame the early loss of Manu Tuilagi to secure an English Premiership play-off place after ending a near 20-year wait for a league win away to reigning champions Saracens.
In what was a repeat of last season's final, Sale's 20-10 victory on Saturday's last day of the regular campaign came despite Tuilagi, celebrating his 33rd birthday, being forced off with a hamstring injury after 17 minutes.
Initial indications were that the powerhouse England centre's season had come to an end and that he would miss the semi-final against Bath on June 1 and a possible Twickenham final before his move to French club Bayonne.
Saracens' defeat condemned them to a last-four clash away to Northampton on May 31 after they had been favourites for a home tie.
It also meant Saracens star Owen Farrell had played his last home game for the London club ahead of the former England captain's post-season move to Paris-based Racing 92.
Northampton and Saracens had already secured play-off spots before Saturday's final round of regular season games, with five other clubs vying for the two remaining places.
But Sale's win meant all the teams that kicked off in the top four remained in the play-off places, albeit that Saracens' defeat dropped them from second to fourth place, with Bath finishing next in line behind table-toppers Northampton.
Saracens suffered a setback before kick-off when Scotland wing Sean Maitland, who had announced Friday he would be retiring at the end of the season, suffered a freak injury in the warm-up and had to pull out.
Sale were expertly led by England fly-half George Ford as tries from Tom Roebuck and Rob Du Preez established a 20-3 lead with 30 minutes left.
Saracens threatened a fightback when Marco Riccioni went over to make it a 10-point game.
But Sale held firm as they enjoyed a first away league win over Saracens since September 2005.
Bath secured their play-off place by scoring six tries in a 43-12 rout of Northampton.
Bristol overwhelmed Harlequins 58-23 and Leicester defeated Exeter 40-22 but results elsewhere denied the Bears and the Tigers a play-off spot.
At the other end of the table, Newcastle ended the Premiership season without a single win following a 54-14 loss at home to Gloucester.
Defeat meant Newcastle followed Rotherham (2003/04) and London Welsh (2014/15) in failing to post a solitary league win in a season, with Saturday's reverse leaving the Falcons with a mere five points from their 18 league fixtures.
Newcastle's owners deliberately reduced their spending on players after three other Premiership clubs —- Worcester, Wasps and London Irish —- all went bust last season.
With no realistic prospect of relegation they relied on a young and inexperienced squad, with the northeast club prepared to suffer short-term pain in the hope of avoiding the example of the three clubs that no longer exist.
For Gloucester, who suffered a humiliating 90-0 defeat by Northampton last time out, this was a morale-boosting win ahead of next week's European Challenge Cup final against South Africa's Sharks.
B.Finley--AMWN