SOUL MATES

Alex hails Sale’s fighting spirit

- Adam Hathaway

ALEX SANDERSON hailed his side’s northern soul as they overcame four yellow cards to jump to third in the Premiership.

Sale did their best to turn this into a game of rugby league as they went down to 14 and 13 men but somehow pulled off a heist.

Full-back Luke James, hooker Akker van der Merwe, wing Byron McGuigan and fly-half AJ McGinty were all binned in 20 second-half minutes for a Premrecord worst for the Sharks.

But the Salford men would not give up and incredibly were still in it at 19-13 down with three minutes on the clock. They got home at the death when lock Josh Beaumont piled over from short range and fly-half Robert du Preez did the rest with the extra two-pointer.