SALE SHARKS 32 GLOUCESTER 9
TWO turnovers, two charge-downs, two tries – all in the first eight minutes – rocked Gloucester's play-off hopes.
But rugby director Nigel Davies has not given up hope the Cherry and Whites can fight their way to a top-four Premiership finish.
On the evidence of this shambles though, Gloucester will need a complete about-turn in every department to produce a victory over Saracens at Kingsholm next weekend.
And forget the top four a moment, the Cherry and Whites must claim at least one win over either Saracens or Exeter to secure a place in next season's Heineken Cup.
Rampant Sale racked up five tries in a triumphant march to safety from Premiership relegation.
Johnny Leota and Dwayne Peel claimed near carbon-copy charge-down scores in a frenetic opening salvo – and Gloucester never recovered.
Cameron Shepherd raced over just before half-time in the move of the match to stun Gloucester still further.
And after the break Peel claimed his second try, before Mark Cueto notched Sale's fifth with the final move of the night.
Frustrated Davies conceded the hosts were by far the better side – but refused to admit defeat in the race for the play-offs.
He lamented: "We were knocked out tonight, but we've got to pick ourselves back up.
"Sale fully deserved that result, and we were unable to get anything going."
"That happens in life, and we've got to get up and fight.
"We've got two games ahead of us, and we've still got hope.
"Our battle is not over."
The questions could be endless for Gloucester tonight: this was simply awful from start to finish.
First bullish centre Leota charged down Dan Robson to score after just two minutes.
Then influential scrum-half Peel blocked Rob Cook's attempted clearance, to scuttle home too.
Eight minutes in, Gloucester were already on the ropes.
Despite a mini rally, Davies' side never recovered any real composure, and failed to build any tempo or platform.
And when Shepherd strolled home on the move of the match, the game was almost over by half-time.
Everyone in Cherry and White thought the ball was going to Peel on the runaround – instead Macleod fired it back inside, and Shepherd's impressive line set him across the whitewash.
The pass was forward, clearly, but that had no effect on the score.
After the break, nothing changed.
Gloucester defended for their lives but could not find any control with the ball in hand.
Leota had a try ruled out, before Peel threw a cheeky blindside dummy to race over for his second score – and Sale's bonus-point try.
Right at the death Danny Cipriani dinked a perfect chip across to Mark Cueto, and the former England raced in for try number five.
Party time for Sale: serious soul-searching ahead for Gloucester.
Forget the top four, Gloucester must first secure a Heineken Cup spot.
After this, anything else would be a huge bonus.
SCORERS:
SALE SHARKS: Tries: Leota (2), Peel 2 (8, 75), Shepherd (39), Cueto (80). Cons: Macleod 2 (8, 40). Pens: Macleod (31).
GLOUCESTER: Pens: Burns 3 (6, 15, 54).
YELLOW CARDS:
GLOUCESTER: Lewis (71).
SALE SHARKS: C Shepherd, T Brady (C Amesbury, 56), J Leota, S Tuitupou, M Cueto, N Macleod (D Cipriani, 62), D Peel (N Fowles, 76), A Dickinson (R Harrison, 51), M Jones (T Taylor, 51), H Thomas (T Buckley, 55), K Myall, A Ostrikov (T Holmes, 76), D Braid (R Vernon, 55), D Seymour (capt), J Gaskell.
GLOUCESTER: R Cook (C Sharples, 55), J May, M Tindall (capt) (H Trinder, 55), B Twelvetrees, S Monahan, F Burns, D Robson (D Lewis, 67), N Wood (D Murphy, 49), H Edmonds (K Britton, 17), D Chistolini (Y Thomas, 67), L Lokotui, W James, T Savage (B Morgan, 49), A Qera (A Hazell, 76), S Kalamafoni.
REFEREE: D Rose.
