Bok hooker scores a double as Sharks cruise into quarters
EUROPEAN CUP MATCH REPORT: Sale Sharks put in a dominant display to dismantle Scarlets in a 57-14 win over the Welsh region in Llanelli on Sunday.
The win in the final match of the Champions Cup Round of 16 also completed the quarterfinal line-up.
It starts on Saturday, April 10, when La Rochelle host Sale Sharks at Stade Marcel-Deflandre and Exeter Chiefs are at home to Leinster at Sandy Park.
On Sunday, April 11, Bordeaux-Bègles host Racing 92 in an all-French affair at Stade Chaban-Delmas and Clermont Auvergne is at home to Toulouse at Stade Marcel-Michelin.
The English side, the Sharks, ran in six tries whilst United States flyhalf AJ MacGinty scored 32 points in what was a clinical display of goal-kicking throughout.
Sale hit the front within three minutes, from a MacGinty penalty and moved further clear on 18 minutes.
It was a mix-up between Ken Owens and the Scarlets forwards, with the ball ending up over them all and into the hands of Springbok hooker Armand van der Merwe - who powered past the startled backs and scored the opening try.
Either side of further MacGinty three-pointers, Sale crossed the whitewash for the second time.
The Sale driving maul was stopped initially, but the second drive proved fatal for the Welsh region as Van der Merwe got his second of the match.
Sale was just as dominant in the second period, with a horror pass under Sale pressure from Francois de Klerk allowing MacGinty to kick forward on the bounce and dive at the posts for another try.
Ken Owens did cross after a Scarlets driving maul to give the Welsh region a sniff but any hope of a comeback was soon extinguished.
Tries from Marland Yarde, Josh Beaumont and Raffi Quirke put further gloss on the scoreline, whilst Jac Morgan crossed for the Welsh region.
The scorers
For Scarlets
Tries: Owens, Morgan
Cons: Halfpenny 2
Sale Sharks
Tries: Van der Merwe 2, MacGinty, Yarde, Beaumont, Quirke
Cons: MacGinty 6
Pens: MacGinty 5
Teams
Scarlets: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Liam Williams, 13 Steff Hughes, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Johnny McNicholl, 10 Dan Jones, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Aaron Shingler, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Jake Ball, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 2 Ken Owens (captain), 1 Wyn Jones.
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Steff Thomas, 18 Javan Sebastian, 19 Lewis Rawlins, 20 Blade Thomson, 21 Dane Blacker, 22 Sam Costelow, 23 Jonathan Davies.
Sale Sharks: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Byron McGuigan, 13 Sam James, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Francois de Klerk, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Jean-Luc du Preez, 5 Josh Beaumont (captain), 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 WillGriff John, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Bevan Rodd.
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 James Phillips, 20 Cameron Neild, 21 Raffi Quirke, 22 Robert du Preez, 23 Luke James.
Referee: Mathieu Raynal
Assistant referee: Dan Jones, Mike English
TMO: Philippe Bonhoure
Sources: @ChampionsCup