Sale Sharks Women left West London with all five points after a tense finish saw a charge down try nudge the visitors ahead at the death.
Trailfinders opened the scoring on 14 minutes, their scrum earning the penalty try under the sticks to get them on the board with Sophie Benavent seeing yellow in the process.
The player disadvantage didn’t affect the Sharks’ attitude and eight minutes later they made their first impact on the scoreline. Asia Hogan-Rochester finished a silky backs move from close range for her first try in a Sale shirt to draw the teams level.
Five minutes later Trailfinders crossed the whitewash again, this time with Blanco, before Sale took their first lead of the contest with a driving maul score that has become a regular sight for Sharks fans this season.
The hosts were not content to finish the half behind however, and with a minute to go in the first 40 Tysh Harper was sin-binned for a high tackle and Trailfinders scored off the next play to make it 19-14 at half time.
They extended their advantage just two minutes into the second half. Prop Leatherman picked up from a metre out and forced her way in to give the home team a ten point advantage.
Sale got the all important next score to keep themselves in touching distance and Player of the Match Brittany Hogan took her chance from close range to bring Sale back into the contest.
The game continued to twist and turn – either side of the hour mark Georgie Ponsonby, fresh off the bench, scored for the East London club before Amy Cokayne pulled it back with a driving maul score for Sale with half an hour to play.
The decisive moment came with ten minutes to go. Trailfinders looked to clear five metres from their own goal line and Charlotte Fray charged down, picked up and dived over to put Sale ahead for the first time in the second half.
The final ten was a tense display of fast paced, intense rugby with the game moving the full length of the pitch several times. With the clock expiring, Duffy, who had been sensational with the boot all day, slotted a penalty from in front of the sticks to wrap up the contest.
Sale head home the victors, 31-36 and with all five points, looking forward to hosting Harlequins Women next weekend. Sharks fans can get their tickets here for a match that promises to be just as exciting.
