Sale win basement battle

Sale Sharks took a big step towards Aviva Premiership safety with a crucial 26-25 bottom-of-the-table win over London Welsh at the Kassam Stadium.

Wing Phil Mackenzie got the Exiles' only try, with scrum-half Alex Davies kicking four penalties and fly-half Gavin Henson adding two penalties and a conversion.

Sale's points came via tries from scrum-half Will Cliff and flanker Daniel Braid with fly-half Danny Cipriani landing three penalties and two conversions and Nick Macleod one penalty.

The result leaves the Sharks one point behind 11th-placed London Irish and three in arrears of Welsh.

Wasps maintained their unbeaten home record in the Premiership with a 33-29 victory over a Gloucester side who failed to capitalise on long spells of dominance at Adams Park.

With 20 minutes to go, Gloucester, who missed four penalties, led 17-13, but tries followed from the impressive Christian Wade and Billy Vunipola and enabled Wasps to consolidate fourth place.

Two bonus points for the visitors, who crossed for a pair of even later tries, took Gloucester above Northampton into fifth.