Bath Beat Sale 36-28 to End Winless Run

Bath beat Sale Sharks 36-28 at The Rec on Saturday, ending a run of three games without a win in all competitions. The match was a Round 5 fixture in the Gallagher Premiership, England's top club league, and the home crowd was a sell-out.

Joe Cokanasiga led the way with two tries. A try is worth five points and is scored by grounding the ball over the opponent's try line. BBC Sport reported that he scored the first in the 30th minute and added another before the interval, and Bath led 19-7 at half-time.

Bath's other tries came from Henry Arundell, Tom de Glanville and Louis Hennessey, with Hennessey's coming in the 65th minute. Finn Russell kicked four conversions, which are extra kicks taken after a try and worth two points each, and one penalty, worth three points, awarded for an infringement by the other side. Five tries from a side in one match is a strong return, and it came from several different players.

Sale fought back with four tries of their own, from Nathan Jibulu, Tom O'Flaherty, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Elia Canakaivata. George Ford converted all four, so the visitors kept the scoreboard close for long spells, but they could not close the gap to a winning margin.

The result has a clear effect on the table. Bath took the maximum five points on offer, which includes a bonus point for scoring four or more tries, and go into the international break in fourth place. The break is the pause in club fixtures while national teams play, and it gives players a few weeks away from their clubs.

For Sale, it was a third defeat of the campaign, leaving them eighth in the table. They return to action after the break with plenty of ground to make up.

For Bath, the win ends a difficult stretch and gives them something to build on. Cokanasiga's double and the spread of scorers gave the crowd plenty to cheer, and a sold-out ground on a Saturday night made for a loud atmosphere.