Sales sharks safe opening of the evening of the new season at home after returning from being 10-5 in the back to Gloucester at half-time; Nathan Jibulu scores on debut with Tom Roebuck and George Ford also prominently in victory
Last Updated: 25/09/25 23:06
New Sales Signing Nathan Jibul
New signing Nathan Jibulu scored another half-time attempt as Sale Beat Gloucester 27-10 to demand a bonus point win on opening night for the new Gallagher Prem season.
Hooker, a summer acquisition from Harlequins, dived across the line from a driving Maul in the 56th minute, before Joe Carpenter and Hyron Andrews added late scores to secure the bonus point.
England Edge Tom Roebuck’s attempt put sale ahead in the 16th minute, but George Skivington’s visitors hit back through Jack Clements Touchdown at the battle for half time.
Nevertheless, Jibulu’s attempted 10-10 after Clement equalized that Clement had been sinned, and George Ford’s conversion angled sales back ahead 12-10.
Ford then delivered the passport to send carpenter over to the hosts’ third attempt before Andrews grabbed their fourth to bonus points.
How sales came from behind to open new season in style
Sales began with England Fly-Half Ford, who was looking to orchestrate their attacks with some deep handling and exploratory kicks.
Ford’s England teammates Carpenter, Roebuck, Bevan Rodd, Asher Opoku-Fordjour and Ben Curry also started, while the new club captain Ernst van Rhyn led sales for the first time.
Gloucester’s club captain Tomos Williams first appeared since he suffered from a hamstring injury as he played for the British and Irish lions during their summer tour in Australia.
He started with the new signing Ross Byrne at half back, while Harrison Bellamy started his first premium in the package and new signing Ben Loader got up on the right wing.
But Sale opened the scoring when Roebuck collected a loose ball close to the Gloucester line and dived over to demand the first attempt in the new season.
Ford could not convert, but the hosts continued to hold the upper hand and thought they had been rewarded with another attempt in the 31st minute.
A sales line on the right flank led Rodd to run across the line, but the TMO chalk’s attempted obstacle when Gloucester survived.
From there, visitors began to fashion some promising movements, and they finally got off the brand in the 35th minute when Byrne kicked a long reach.
And their pressure, which was told on the battle of half-time, when Clement charged through the home defense to cross the line from close range with Byrne conversion to give Gloucester a 10-5 interval lead.
The sale thought they had their second attempt shortly after half-time when the Scrum half Gus Warr had an attempt excluded by TMO for a forward change.
Gloucester then lost their Tryscorer Clement to his bin to reduce a Maul illegally, and they were punished when Jibulu went over from close range and Ford converted before adding a penalty.
Joe Carpenter (left) celebrating his attempt
With eight minutes left, Ford threw an exquisite care to carpenter inside the right channel, and full back showed his class to power over the line for a trial that Ford converted.
At the last minute Andrews finished a smart handling in the right corner to Bonus-Point Try.