Sale hold on at Stone X to beat Saracens despite Vermeulen red
Sale defeated Saracens at the Stone X to claim their first win of The Prem campaign on 4 October 2026, holding on after Jacques Vermeulen was sent off early in the match.
The victory was built on a strong defensive display from Sale, who had conceded 150 points to Saracens across two heavy defeats last season but managed to lead 7-5 at half-time following Nathan Jibulu’s early converted try and Eroni Mawi’s reply. Sale’s forwards imposed themselves early when a driving maul delivered Jibulu’s opening score, and the hosts restored full complement when Elia Canakaivata replaced Vermeulen after the red card.
Disciplinary incidents shaped the first half: Alex Lozowski received a yellow card for a high shot on Barbeary on his first Sale start, Jacques Vermeulen was red-carded for putting a shoulder into Tomos Williams’ head, and TMO Hamish Smales overturned Courtney Lawes’ yellow for a deliberate knock-on and later disallowed Nick Tompkins’ try for a Nick Isiekwe obstruction in the build-up.
Sale extended their lead after the break when Tom O’Flaherty collected George Ford’s up-and-under on halfway and ran in, and Sione Va'Enuku — on debut for Saracens — later finished a line created by a quick switch while his side were camped on the Sale line. Ben Bamber then increased Sale’s advantage as Ford teed him up to run a hard line through a gap for what the match report describes as Sale’s decisive third try, before Charlie Bracken’s late score set up a tense finish.
Match control and individual contributions underpinned Sale’s win: Courtney Lawes was prominent in the lineout and at the breakdown, Tom Curry produced a physical performance, and George Ford helped manage the closing stages. BBC Rugby Union correspondent Chris Jones wrote that, amid a season of free-flowing attack, this game was “much more of an old school dogfight” and that Sale produced two big second-half plays from O’Flaherty and Bamber.
Off the field, Saracens’ role and title changes continued to make headlines; new chief executive Ed Coetzee confirmed Brendan Venter as head of culture and technical director, a role which will include "significant media duties." Venter told TNT Sports he had “absolutely nothing” to do with other sections of the club such as the academy and women’s section and said the wine consultant remark was not a joke: "Our whole theme this year was all about wine," he added. Venter handed post-match media duties to head coach Joe Shaw and will talk this week in a bid to avoid further sanctions from Prem Rugby.
Saracens: Daly; J Bracken, Tompkins, Va'enuku, Segun; Burke, Williams; Mawi, Dan, Street, Itoje (c), Tizard, Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Barbeary. Replacements: Clarke, O'Driscoll, Clarey, Martin, Michelow, Earl, C Bracken, Malins.
Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, Marchant, Lozowski, Reed; Ford, Warr; Smith, Jibulu, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Lawes, Curry, Vermeulen. Replacements: Caine, McIntyre, Francis, Tshiunza, Canakaivata, Hanson, Louw, Loganimasi.