Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers: Five takeaways as ‘magical’ Wand seals PREM Rugby play-off spot but seven-try win bittersweet after Wallaby’s injury
Will Wand scoring for Leicester Tigers against Sale Sharks.
Following a 47-33 victory for Leicester Tigers against Sale Sharks in the PREM Rugby meeting, here’s our five takeaways from Sunday’s clash at the CorpAcq Stadium.
The top line
It was job done for Leicester today with plenty of time to spare as they ran out comfortable winners in the north-west, wrapping up a play-off place in the process.
First-half tries from Ollie Chessum, Jamie Blamire, Joaquin Moro and Joe Heyes set them on their way to a 28-12 half-time lead and an early flurry in the second half that saw Will Wand, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Archie van der Flier cross the line rubber stamped their win and made it Leicester‘s highest points tally on Sale soil.
There was a late rally from Sale as they picked up a try bonus-point for their efforts – thanks to tries from Tom Roebuck, Jacques Vermeulen, Ernst van Rhyn, Sam Dugdale and Arron Reed – but ultimately this is their 12th defeat of the campaign as they remain seventh, well adrift of the top six and those battling for silverware.
Contrasting moods
These sides have experienced hugely contrasting seasons as Leicester’s souring heights have been mirrored by the dismal lows that Sale have been through in 2026.
Despite finding some form late in the piece, this latest defeat suffered by the Sharks leaves them in danger of potentially finishing outside the Champions Cup spots.
Fortunately they have Newcastle as one of their remaining PREM matches so they should have enough points on the board to make the eight, but it could be close.
For Leicester they continue to ride high under Geoff Parling as this seven-try success was another sign of their progress this season and keeps them in the hunt for second spot and a home semi-final. They face Exeter (home) and Bath (away) in a fascinating run-in, with the final game in particular set to have plenty riding on it.
Magic Wand
12 tries in all today and many made for pleasant viewing but perhaps the pick of the bunch came when little was on for the Tigers centre who is in a rich vein of form.
Leicester were pressurising the defence on 43 minutes before the attack fizzled out somewhat, with Wand receiving the ball on the back foot with the Sharks advancing. However, Wand’s vision, speed and ability to regather a smart chip over the top into an open space saw him dot down expertly and extend the lead to 23 points.
It was one of those moments only a rare few can manage and it shows what a talent the 24-year-old is, with his ability to beat tacklers a real feature of Wand’s game.
Fly-half concern
The sight of James O’Connor departing the action after just 12 minutes with a dejected look on his face did not make for pleasant viewing for Leicester Tigers fans.
It is unclear the extent of the injury and Parling will hope the Wallaby veteran’s exit was only precautionary to avoid any serious damage, but still it’s a major worry.
Billy Searle, who has been a standout this term, remains on the sidelines, so losing O’Connor too would be a serious setback, especially at the season’s business end.
England watch
Plenty more positives on the Leicester side as one might expect considering the scoreline as their usual suspects of late once again caught the eye with solid outings.
Up front it was a special try-scoring 100th start for Heyes in tight and loose while Blamire continues to stand out and is pressing to climb the England pecking order.
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Into the engine room and Chessum was immense in all facets and dovetailed nicely with George Martin, who continues his impressive return from long-term injury.
Jack van Poortvliet was busy around the fringes while Wand caught the eye at centre, with Steward and Hassell-Collins solid, but it was quiet day for Adam Radwan.
For Sale there was little to cheer from an England perspective with Rekeiti Ma’asi-White the standout, as the centre caused Tigers problems in the wider channels.
Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Tom Curry were part of a struggling forward pack while Raffi Quirke had a solid first period before being replaced by Gus Warr. Joe Carpenter and the try-scoring wing Roebuck put in flashes of quality when the opportunity arose, but unfortunately for the Sharks those chances were few and far between.
READ MORE: Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers: Result, scorers, match stats, line-ups