Sale Sharks 16 Saracens 23

Danny Cipriani kicked the first Premiership points to be scored at the Salford City Stadium but ended up on the losing side.

Sale's marquee signing got the scoreboard up and running in the third minute with the first of three first-half penalties, but he was outdone by former club favourite, Charlie Hodgson, who landed four kicks of his own to hand Saracens a 12-9 interval lead. Try scoring opportunities had been few and far between but Saracens should have scored midway through the half after a Cipriani clearance had been charged down by opposite number Hodgson. Cipriani chased back to collar the Premiership's record points-scorer and was mightily relieved to see Brad Barritt spill the recycled ball in the act of crossing the line. Saracens started the second half the better of the two sides, wave after wave attack testing a Sale defence that had proved so brittle at Exeter the week before. But the Sharks rearguard held firm and they were rewarded when Will Addison latched onto a Chris Wyles pass, intended for Alex Goode, to race home from 80 metres. Cipriani kicked the conversion to take his personal points tally into double figures in front of watching England coaches, Stuart Lancaster and Andy Farrell. Cipriani, though, was at fault for Saracens' solitary try when Goode easily fended him off before putting Chris Ashton in at the right corner. Hodgson's conversion attempt hit the upright but his sixth penalty effectively settled the contest.