The Prem: Leicester Tigers 36-35 Sale – Tigers hold off Sharks in 10-try thriller

The second half could not have been more different from the first.

With their deficit in mind, Sale started with a much greater sense of purpose.

After a series of drives up to the Tigers’ line, and with the defence narrowed, George Ford fed Luke James to jog over untouched.

Any feel good factor from that score was quickly extinguished when Leicester added their bonus-point score.

With the visitors’ defence seemingly set, Hanro Liebenberg’s slip pass found Ilione who stole through a gap to dive over next to the posts.

The game had opened up and with both defences out on their heels, Sale drove up to the Leicester line again.

In a near carbon copy of his first try, James found a gap after a pinpoint pass from Ford to secure his brace and keep the visitors in contention.

The lively Whiteley was next on the scoresheet.

The scrum-half taking advantage to snipe over from close range after Ollie Chessum had been repelled.

With both teams seemingly scoring at will, it was only fitting that Sale scored their bonus-point try soon after.

Rob du Preez exploited a gap in the Tigers defence before being dragged down.

Replacement Raffi Quirke marshalled his forwards before eventually passing to Roebuck to add to the try bonanza.

Breaking the tit-for-tat cycle, Sale scored a fifth.

James claimed his hat-trick after the imperious Ford sent Marius Louw through a gap – the South African found the full-back as the Tigers ran out of defenders.

But Sale were unable to find that decisive final score and Billy Searle had no difficulty in kicking the ball dead as time elapsed.

The result moves the Tigers into fifth, while Sale remain in seventh.