Sale beat weakened Bristol to get Champions Cup spot

Sale Sharks have not won successive league games all season [Getty Images]The Prem

>Sale (26) 38

>Tries: Ford, Bamber, Reed 2, Carpenter, Ma'asi-White Cons: Ford 4

>Bristol (12) 17

>Tries: Heward, Gwilliam, Worsley Con: Worsley

>Sale Sharks beat a weakened Bristol Bears side to ensure Champions Cup qualification for next season.

>Needing only a point to secure their place in Europe's elite competition again, the Sharks had that wrapped up inside 25 minutes, in which time George Ford, Ben Bamber, Arron Reed and Joe Carpenter went over to pick up the four-try bonus point and set up a final-day success.

>This was only a fifth Prem victory of the season and a first at home since December as Sale ended a very disappointing league campaign in seventh, their lowest position for seven years.

>Bristol finished one place above them in sixth, albeit 18 points clear of their opponents as an injury-ravaged season eventually caught up with Pat Lam's side.

>Sale: Carpenter; O'Flaherty, Roebuck, Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Quirke; Opoku-Fjordjour, Jibulu, Harper, Van Rhyn (c), Bamber, Dugdale, Kelly, T Curry.

>Replacements: Longstaff, McEachran, Bell, Andrews, Logan, Warr, James, Wills.

>Bristol: Lane; Heward, Bates, J Jenkins, Boshoff; Worsley, Randall (c); Woolmore, Gwilliam, Lahiff, Dun, Taylor, Owen, Thacker, Batley.

>Replacements: Hill, Grahamslaw, Chawatama, Halliwell, K Jenkins, Wolstenholme, Pepper, Harris.

>Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe