Harlequins secured top spot on the Aviva Premiership table with a 24-10 win over Sale at Edgeley Park.
Against a weakened Sale outfit, Harlequins took a 15-3 half-time lead through tries from Danny Care and Mike Brown. Nick Evans added a conversion and a penalty with Tommy Bell responding for the hosts.
Three more Evans' three-pointers sealed the victory and top position in the Aviva Premiership, despite Will Addison's consolation try for the hosts.
Despite their handicap, it was Sale who started the brighter with Addison and Tom Brady going close to crossing the whitewash.
Eventually, Quins superior experience, power and verve told, and Care went over after several charges from their forwards with Evans converting.
Bell reduced the deficit for the Sharks after 31 minutes before Evans took the score out to 10-3 with one of his own.
But the visitors continued to look the more threatening and, on the stroke of half-time, Brown latched onto his fly-half's sweet pass to touch down for an unconverted score.
Harlequins continued to press in the second half and deservedly went further into lead with two Evans' penalties.
However, when Nick Easter was sin-binned for the visitors, Addison scampered clear from the halfway line and touched down.
But they couldn't mount a comeback and Evans secured the win with a three-pointer, and a home semi-final position.
As for Sale, despite the defeat, they will play Heineken Cup rugby next season because of Leicester's victory over Bath.
The scorers:
For Sale:
Tries: Addison
Cons: Bell
Pens: Bell
For Harlequins:
Tries: Brown, Care
Cons: Evans
Pens: Evans 4
Yellow cards: Easter (Harlequins)
Sale Sharks: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Will Addison, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Tommy Bell, 9 Scott Mathie, 8 Mark Easter, 7 David Seymour (capt), 6 Will Bordill, 5 Tom Holmes, 4 Kearnan Myall, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Marc Jones, 1 Lee Imiolek.
Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Joe Ward, 19 Billy Emerson, 20 Jordan Davies, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Iain Thornley, 23 Charlie Amesbury.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Tom Williams, 13 George Lowe, 12 Jordan Turner-Hall, 11 Sam Smith, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Chris Robshaw (capt), 6 Maurie Fa'asavalu, 5 George Robson, 4 Olly Kohn, 3 James Johnston, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Will Collier, 19 Tomas Vallejos, 20 Tom Guest, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Rory Clegg, 23 Matt Hopper.
Referee: Martin Fox
Comments
Jediboy says...
Well done Quins. I feel that if you are top of the table after the whole season, you should be crowned champions. after all, you've even the best team over the season. But I guess the pay offs have been around for long enough now, so we all know how it works.
Posted 07:59 07th May 2012
Rugbynut says...
Well done Quins! A great season and a great finish. Hopefully now through to lifting the Cup!
Posted 16:34 06th May 2012