The away side took a 12th-minute lead slightly against the run of play as Reiketi Ma’asi-White broke through in midfield before the ball was spun wide for Tom Walsh to finish smartly on the left.

Tom Curtis’ attempted conversion drifted wide of the uprights, and RAMS responded at the start of the second quarter when Ant Marris barged his way over the line from close range following a spell of sustained pressure.

Will Partington added the extras to nudge his side two points in front, but the lead swapped hands again just after the half-hour mark when Sale again showed their clinical edge with Curtis crossing the whitewash before adding to his effort with the conversion.

RAMS rallied again, though, and after Jak Rossiter’s excellent break gave them field position, a number of pick-and-goes ended with Marris doubling his tally with a dart over the line.

Partington made no mistake with the conversion, giving the hosts a 14-12 half-time advantage.

It was Sale who again made the first inroads of the second period, a well-drilled rolling maul eventually ending with replacement hooker Ollie Longmore touching down.

Curtis was again unable to add the kick, but as the game entered its final quarter, the Dogs had a three-point lead.

RAMS regained the lead for a third time, though, on the back of a series of scrum penalties five metres shy of the visitors’ line.

Sale prop Tumy Onayansa was eventually sin-binned to add to his side’s troubles, and with the scrum again charging towards the line, the ball was spun wide from which Partington’s cross-field kick found Rossiter to dot down in front of clubhouse corner for his 13th try of the season.

However, the Dogs replied almost immediately with a Curtis penalty putting them one point back in front, but the lead changed hands for an eighth time as Ben Henderson crashed over at the back of a RAMS maul for his 50th try for the club.

However, there was to be another twist as the Dogs repeated the trick with a maul score of their own – Longmore again the beneficiary – before Curtis landed the conversion.

RAMS had one final shot at saving their unbeaten run with a long-range Partington penalty, but his effort drifted wide to leave the visitors delighted.

Final score: RAMS 24-27 Sale FC

Half-time score: RAMS 14-12 Sale FC

Scorers:

RAMS:

Tries: Marris 22, 36, Rossiter 64, Henderson 72

Conversions: Partington 23, 37

Sale:

Tries: Walsh 12, Curtis 31, Longmore 48, 77

Conversions: Curtis 32, 78

Penalty: Curtis 67

Star Player: Tom Curtis (Sale FC)

Referee: Adam Wookey

Attendance: 985

RAMS

(15-9, 1-8) Dykes, Rossiter, Jones, Kalling-Smith, Bird, Partington, Cole; Marris, Hayman, McDonnell-Roberts, C Stapley, Swain, McRae, Everitt, R Stapley ©

Substitutes: Henderson, Baker, Brooke, Allan, Townsend

Sale FC

(15-9, 1-8) Dixon, Edwards, Ma’asi-White, Robins, Walsh, Curtis, Bradley; Birchall, Brown, Ford, Bamber, Groves, Cecil, Hughes ©, Barron
Substitutes: Longmore, Onasanya, Tebbatt, Hirskyj-Douglas, Brand