Sale 26-31 Bath result - Bath move within a point of top spot in PREM Rugby table after eking out victory in exciting encounter

Bath were 12 points behind at half-time but recovered to edge Sale at CorpAcq Stadium and move within a point of the top of the Gallagher PREM table.

The match was scoreless for almost 20 minutes before the visitors took the lead through Dan Frost, but yellow cards to Joe Cokanasiga and Frost allowed the hosts back into the match.

Three tries were scored at the end of the half with Bath a man down as Tom O’Flaherty, Robert Du Preez and Luke Cowan-Dickie went over.

The visitors then got back level with scores from Louie Hennessey and Ethan Staddon, but Tom Roebuck burst over to score in the corner and restore Sale's lead with an hour played.

An inspired run and kick from Kepu Tuipulotu set up Bernard van der Linde to bring the scores level and then, after 21 phases, Alfie Barbeary broke the stubborn hosts' defence for the sealing try.

The bonus point enabled Bath to close the gap slightly to leaders Northampton, while Sale remain in seventh spot and their top-four hopes only mathematical.

Former England star Ben Kay suggested that despite the appearance of the PREM rugby table, the league does have depth.

"This league, on any given day, anyone can win," Kay said.

"Everyone had written Harlequins off completely, and they turn up and put a performance in. It's only a 10-team league, but it is very competitive."

Bath coach Johann van Graan said he is not thinking about the PREM Rugby semi-finals despite the top-four places looking pretty settled two-thirds of the way through the season.

"It's not the time to start talking about semi-finals, we're still six rounds away," van Graan said.

"We have put ourselves in a really good position come two weeks' time, where we have Quins at home and Northampton away. We'll be in the mix come May.

"There's loads of rugby to be played, we know where we want to get to. But hopefully by May we'll be in a good space.

"I want to wish all the English teams really well in the Champions Cup. There's been so much talk about this league, if you look at how many English teams are in the knockouts of the Champions Cup, that's amazing. I really wish all the English teams well."

Bath try-scorer Ethan Staddon said his team had to work hard for victory over Sale on Sunday afternoon.

"I don't know if it looked like we had to work hard but we certainly did," Staddon told TNT Sports.

"It's good to rotate the squad, give some of the younger guys like myself an opportunity to show what we can do. Absolutely chuffed we came away with the win here.

"At half-time it was to play the conditions. In the second half we had the wind, play more direct, pin them in the corner and let's force their errors and get territory.

"Every Monday we start at zero and there's a real mindset shift that we attack the week. Doesn't matter who's playing. When we get our shot, we're absolutely buzzing to get going."

Just like the leaders Northampton on Saturday, Bath escaped from a close away encounter with a narrow victory.

And that will surely be the ball game. He was driving towards the line but dropped the ball in a tackle from Carreras. He had the chance to pass outside but delayed and then lost the ball.

Ford isn't that accurate to the kick but they still are around 12m from the corner flag.

Warr lost the ball in the tackle just outside the Bath 22 and the visitors have a chance to take a bit of time off the clock.

Carreras just curled the ball wide of the near post.

It took 22 phases, most of which were within five metres of the line, but Barbeary eventually just gets the ball over the line after dummying and heading back inside.

With his hair he is not hard to miss but the Sale pass was too close for his extending arm and he careered another 30m forwards before being brought down.

We are level once more.

A recovery from an errant line out from Tuipolotu who barges through one tackle, weaved around another before moving into the Sale half and producing a fantastic kick with the outside of his boot which Van der Linde latched onto and gathered before scoring.

Another fine conversion from Ford gives the hosts a seven-point lead.

It took 15 phases in the Bath 22 but, after a penalty had been given, Roebuck burst in from nowhere to dive over in the right corner.

Both sides are kicking a lot from hand with little threat to the opponents' line.

We are level as the wind takes this kick from Carreras well wide of the sticks.

There is confusion. It looked like the referee was telling Bath to hold on after Molony had been driven into touch but Carreras took a quick penalty and passed inside to Staddon who dived over.

He needed a team-mate holding the ball for him but, despite the conditions, he kicked truly and between the sticks.

Sale denied the forwards looking to lough over the line but a quick catch and release from Carreras got the ball out quickly and Hennessey dived over in the corner.