The Prem
Newcastle (10) 45
Tries: Christie 2, Mafi, Hearle 3, Lockwood Cons: Connon, Healy 4
Sale (35) 42
Tries: Roebuck, Kelly, O’Flaherty, Carpenter, Longstaff, Reed Cons: Ford 6
Alex Hearle completed a second-half hat-trick with the final play of the game as Prem basement-boys Newcastle Red Bulls stunned Sale Sharks with an incredible fightback.
With Harlequins and Gloucester both losing, victory would have sealed seventh place for Sale and Champions Cup rugby next season.
The Sharks flew out of the blocks and scored their first try from Tom Roebuck’s angled run after 61 seconds.
They raced into a 35-10 lead at half-time with some clinical finishing amid some suspect defending from a Red Bulls side who had shipped 259 points across their past four league games.
The hosts improved after the break as Sale stuttered and Newcastle registered their biggest points haul in five years as Hearle’s treble, two from Tom Christie and another from Alfie Lockwood pulled them within four points after Arron Reed’s try had kept the Sharks’ noses in front.
However with the clock ticking past 80 minutes Newcastle broke from their own 22 with Hearle picking up a pop-pass on halfway to race under the posts and secure a second win of the campaign and complete the club’s biggest ever Prem comeback victory.
More to follow.
Newcastle: E Grayson; Wade, Hearle, Arnold, H Obatoyinbo; Connon, Benítez Cruz; Connor Hancock, McGuigan (c), Palframan, Hodgson, Scott, Leatherbarrow, Christie, Mafi.
Replacements: Fletcher, Clark, McCallum, Cardall, Lockwood, Elliott, Healy, Hutchison.
Sale: Carpenter; O’Flaherty, Roebuck, Ma’asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; Opoku-Fordjour, Longstaff, Harper, van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Dugdale, Kelly, Logan.
Replacements: Austin, McEachran, Bell, Andrews, Woodman, Quirke, Davies, Bedlow.
Referee: Cristophe Ridley