Sharks hold on to set up blockbuster finale

ALEX Sanderson is steeling his Sharks for what he calls a “proper battle” as they head into the Tigers’ lair for a blockbuster Premiership on Saturday.

- By MARK STEVENS

The Sharks set up the mouth-watering showdown at Welford Road with a hard-fought win over a stubborn Exeter side at Sandy Park — a result that confirmed a third-place finish and underlined their growing momentum at just the right time.

While Sale sharpen their edge for the knock-out fight ahead, the Chiefs on the other hand are left to pick through the wreckage of a disastrous campaign — their worst since entering the Premiership in 2010.

Rob Baxter now faces a pivotal off-season, tasked with ripping up the script and rewriting a game plan capable of lifting the Chiefs back among the division’s elite.

“Things are coming together at the right time,” said Sanderson. “Some of it is intentional, some of it is luck, but you need a bit of that if you want to do things that leave a mark. We've got some of our best players hitting their best form at just the right time.