Saracens moved to the top of the Aviva Premiership table with a comfortable 45-9 win over Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park this evening.
Nick Macleod could have given the hosts the lead in the fourth minute with a penalty, but his kick flew wide of the posts.
Sale were punished almost instantly as Chris Wyles touched down for the first try of the night. Charlie Hodgson placed the kick through the posts to give his side a 7-0 advantage.
It was 10-0 after 18 minutes when Hodgson was on target with a penalty, before Macleod got his team on the scoreboard with a 22nd-minute penalty of his own.
Saracens extended their lead two minutes later thanks to Ernst Joubert's try. However, Hodgson was wide with the conversion on this occasion.
Macleod and Hodgson then exchanged penalties before Macleod kicked through the posts on the stroke of half time to make the score 18-9 to the visitors at the break.
Hodgson hit two penalties inside the first two minutes of the second half as Sarries began to move out of sight of their opponents.
Saracens went further in front just before the hour as Alex Goode touched down for his team's second try of the match. Hodgson continued his good form with the boot to make the score 31-9.
A try from Michael Tagicakibau, converted by Hodgson, stretched Saracens' lead before Hugh Vyvyan's score two minutes from the end completed the emphatic win.
