Your Sharks put up a strong first-half fight against a star-studded Leinster team before running out of steam in the second as the four-time champions secured their spot in the semi-finals of the Investec Champions Cup.
A tight first period saw Alex Sanderson’s side go in trailing by just four points, but yellow cards either side of half time for Dan du Preez and then Si McIntyre saw Leinster pull clear.
Alex Wills crossed for Sharks’ only try in the second half to give the travelling Sale contingent a moment to cheer.
In front of almost 19,000 fans inside Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Sharks were the first to land a blow, winning an early scrum penalty against the head.
But it was the home side who made the first breakthrough, when Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan dived under the posts.
Sharks held firm for the rest of the half, winning three penalties at the scrum and getting on the scoreboard through a George Ford penalty. An attempted Ford drop goal drifted wide as the clock hit 40 minutes and the teams went in at 7-3.
A yellow card at the end of the first half for Dan du Preez for a controversial deliberate knock-on meant Sharks came out for the second period with 14 men.
And the numerical advantage told as Ireland full-back Hugo Keenan scored his side’s second minutes after the break.
Ford’s boot kept Sale in it at 12-6, but Ryan Baird and All Black Rieko Ioane crossed close to the corner flag within three minutes of each other, Ioane’s try having started from Harry Byrne’s superb claim of a high ball.
The Leinster fly-half then laid on the fifth try, sending through a chip kick over the top ahead that winger Tommy O’Brien landed on just over the tryline.
Sale continued to show ambition and they were rewarded when Wills touched down in the corner after a loose ball bounced up kindly and was moved wide to the substitute.
But Leinster had the last word, man of the match Sheehan rampaging deep into the Sale half before feeding Osborne for the hosts’ sixth try with the last action of the match.
Speaking after the game, the Sharks Director of Rugby praised his side’s endeavour, but bemoaned a malfunctioning lineout.
He said: “We were in the contest until 55 minutes. We just need to marry up all the physicality, attitude, intent and work-rate that was all there, with accuracy.
“Not winning your own ball – that’s a controllable – and giving them so many opportunities, there’s only so many times that they’ll huff and puff until they blow the door down.
“I don’t believe the score was reflective of the efforts the boys put in or how competitive the game was, certainly for two thirds.
“We want more of this so we need to make sure we’re in the Champions Cup again. There’s the motivation to have to want to improve. We’re not the finished article and clearly there’s room to get better.
“There’s nine weeks left of the season and we’ve got plenty to play for, starting with next week when we’ve got a score to settle with Sarries from the game at the start of the season.”
Leinster: Keenan; T O’Brien, Ringrose, Osborne, Ioane; Byrne, Gibson-Park; Usanov, Sheehan (capt), Furlong, McCarthy, Ryan, Baird, Van der Flier, Conan.
Replacements: Kelleher, Cahir, Clarkson, Deegan, Penny, McGrath, Frawley, Henshaw.
Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, R du Preez, Ma’asi-White, O’Flaherty; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Caine, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn (capt), Bamber, Vermeulen, Dugdale, D du Preez.
Replacements: Longstaff, McEachran, Harper, Logan, Gilmore, Hanson, Louw, Wills.
