Sale beat Saracens 21-17 despite Vermeulen red card to claim first league win

Sale Sharks earned their first win of The Prem campaign by beating Saracens 21-17 at StoneX Stadium on Sunday, despite a red card for Jacques Vermeulen. According to BBC Sport's match report, Sale survived a lengthy first-half spell at a numerical disadvantage before resisting a late Saracens comeback to secure the four-point victory.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXH0GNrxt1Y

Nathan Jibulu, Tom O'Flaherty and Ben Bamber scored Sale's tries, while George Ford supplied two conversions and Alex Lozowski added another. Saracens also crossed three times, through Eroni Mawi, Sione Va'enuku and Charlie Bracken, but Fergus Burke's single conversion left them short. With both teams scoring 15 points from tries, Sale's greater return from conversions accounted for the final margin.

Sale's disciplinary problems began with Lozowski's yellow card in the 11th minute, followed by Vermeulen's dismissal in the 18th. BBC Sport described the latter as a 20-minute red card and reported that Saracens had numerical superiority for 27 minutes of the opening half. Even so, the home side could not turn that advantage into an interval lead.

Jibulu's early converted try gave Sale the platform to stay in front. Mawi replied for Saracens, but the Sharks reached half-time 7-5 ahead. O'Flaherty then scored soon after the restart to increase the visitors' advantage, ensuring Saracens had to keep chasing the game after failing to move ahead before the break.

Va'enuku reduced the deficit before Bamber's try helped Sale establish an 11-point lead. Charlie Bracken's late score brought Saracens back within reach, but Sale retained their advantage through to the finish. The result rewarded a defensive effort that had already kept them ahead during their difficult opening half.

Jibulu's contribution came after he was selected in place of Luke Cowan-Dickie, one of four changes announced by Sale ahead of the trip. The club's team announcement also confirmed that Gus Warr replaced Xavier Roe, who had returned to New Zealand for the birth of his first child. Sale now have a home league fixture against Harlequins on 11 October, following the breakthrough win in London.