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#YourSharks fell to their first defeat in six matches at Sandy Park on Sunday, with tries from Ewan Ashman and Curtis Langdon not enough to overcome the former European and Premiership Champions.

Exeter led 19-0 at half-time after two tries from fit-again South African flanker Vermeulen to followed Olly Woodburn’s opener, but despite having the wind against them, Sale improved in the second half.

Ewan Ashman got one back before fellow hooker Curtis Langdon earned a losing bonus point as the Sharks somehow kept the hosts scoreless after the break.

The Chiefs were twice denied a try bonus point in the final 10 minutes when they had two tries correctly chalked off – the first by winger Tom O’Flaherty for an aerial knock-on, then again when Sam Skinner went over, only for the video referee to flag up an offside at the other end much earlier in the move.

And it was from the resulting Sale penalty that AJ MacGinty’s boot kicked for touch to set up the driving line-out platform that earned the Sharks their consolation point.

Seventh-placed Sale are only five points back ahead of next Saturday’s home game against Gloucester, but their fourth straight loss to Exeter came at the further cost of injuries to flanker Cameron Neild, who was carried off, Cobus Wiese, Raffi Quirke and Coenie Oosthuizen.

Sale regrouped to cross for their first try from Ashman on 52 minutes, converted by MacGinty but, despite chances at either end, there was only one other further score, from replacement hooker Langdon. Although MacGinty failed with the final conversion attempt, that deserved losing bonus point had already been secured.

Sale rugby director Alex Sanderson:

“Considering how we pitched up, I’d have taken a bonus point at half-time. But you can’t be satisfied with losing bonus points, or the draw we had last week (against London Irish).

“We had a few changes in the pack and early injuries and a pack with two hookers, and we still looked the better for it. It was pure mentality.

“We said we would measure ourselves by the second half, and we were more in the fight. We will take it, but I’m not happy with it. We have to be better.”