Sale stopped free-scoring Bristol in their tracks with a stunning 38-0 victory at Ashton Gate on Friday to go third in the English Premiership.

Victory would have taken Bristol top of the table above west country rivals Bath.

But Sale never looked back after scrum-half Raffi Quirke set the tone when he breached Bristol’s defence inside three minutes.

Bristol had collected a try-scoring bonus point in each of their last nine league games, equalling the Premiership record.

Sale, in stark contrast, were without a point of any description on their Premiership travels this term, but those statistics were shredded on a spectacular night for Alex Sanderson’s team.

Tom Roebuck added a second try before half-time before Ben Curry’s interception score sealed the win early in the second period.

Tom O’Flaherty secured a bonus point 14 minutes from time.

Centre Rob du Preez kicked three penalties and three conversions, while fly-half George Ford dropped a goal as Sale’s statement win served notice of their title credentials.

“I am a bit emotional because of the significance of the performance in the mid-point of the season, where we were five weeks ago. It is Christmas and you make sacrifices,” Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson told BBC Sport

“I said to the boys, ‘everyone makes sacrifices’, so you want to make it worth it and they have for me, they have made my time worth it with that effort.

“If you want to beat teams as good as Bristol or any in the upper echelon of the Premiership your set-piece is key as is your defence and you can layer things on the back of that.

“But those two things make you competitive and when you start to get a few gamebreakers in your team, Raffi Quirke was exceptional, Tom Roebuck continues to score and impress and Fordy steers the ship – that is the gamebreakers I am talking about.

“There is a glut of talent and the lads are revelling in it.”