Champions Cup round two:
Pool One - Glasgow Warriors come from 21 points down to stun Toulouse 28-21
Pool Two result - Munster score five tries in 31-3 win over Gloucester
Pool Four result - Champions Bordeaux cruise to 50-21 victory over Scarlets
Pool One result - Saracens fall to 28-23 loss to Sharks in Durban
Pool One result - Sale Sharks chalk up 35-14 win at Clermont Auvergne
Clermont put Sale under huge pressure in the final few minutes of the half, with attacking line-outs and an attacking scrum, but the visitors are able to keep them out and it's half-time.
That's an exceptional first-half display from Sale - clinical in attack and dogged in defence. They lead by 13 points at the interval as they chase their first win of this year's pool stage.
Aphelele Fassi (con: Whitehead)
Andre Esterhuizen is back on the ball and blasting through tackles.
When he's stopped the ball is recycled quickly wide and full-back Aphelele Fassi is completely unmarked on the flank to walk it in.
George Whitehead's conversion makes it a one-point game.
Not long to go now before half-time.
Sharks 7-15 Saracens
Bongi Mbonambi finds his jumper in the line-out and Sharks go on the attack but Fergus Burke rips the ball out from Andre Esterhuizen as the former Quins man looks to go through a gap.
Good work from the fly-half but Sharks are coming again.
Arron Reed (con: Du Preez)
A wonderfully worked third try by Sale, scored by Arron Reed, and they have some breathing space.
Sale go through the hands to the left side and Reed peels around the back with a great line, leaving Clermont defenders grasping at air.
Fergus Burke
Fifteen unanswered points now for Saracens as Fergus Burke knocks over a penalty to move them two scores ahead.
Important moments now for both teams before the break.
Sharks 7-12 Saracens
Saracens have turned things around all the park now and are on top in the scrum as well.
The Sharks seem to have stopped playing after that opening burst.
A worry for Sarries though as Marco Riccioni looks hurt after winning that scrum.
He's going to continue after some treatment but one to keep an eye on.
Clermont 7-13 Sale
Alivereti Raka is a heck of a strong ball-carrier. Echoes of Jonah Lomu in his pomp as he essentially runs over a couple of Sale tacklers while rampaging down the left wing.
Clermont are in Sale territory once more and rumble towards the tryline, but Sale are holding them out for now.
Tom O'Flaherty hacks the ball downfield to relieve the pressure.
Sam Spink (con: Burke)
It's a messy try in a messy game but Saracens are playing the conditions better.
Fergus Burke sends a kick in behind and Sharks full-back Aphelele Fassi makes a meal of collecting the ball, spilling it back towards his own line to give Sam Spink an easy finish.
Burke then adds the conversion and after a slow start the visitors are well on top now.
Sharks 7-5 Saracens
Angus Hall collects the high kick as Sharks players stand and watch.
Good chase and collection from the Saracens wing to set up the next attack.
Clermont 7-13 Sale
A graphic on the TV coverage has just shown that the ball has spent about 80% of the time in Sale's half in the opening 28 minutes.
Sale have really made the most of their forays into Clermont territory.
Sharks 7-5 Saracens
Saracens centre Olly Hartley is penalised for a high tackle and the Sharks will be able to clear.
It's not looked at any closer by the TMO.
Rob du Preez
Rob du Preez has missed two conversions that he would usually expect to get, but he splits the posts with a fairly central penalty to add another three points to Sale's tally.
Clermont get the chance to get some points back straight away as they elect to kick for the corner from a penalty inside Sale's 22, but...
Oh my goodness me - Irae Simone has booted the ball into the in-goal area. What a let-off.
Sharks 7-5 Saracens
Sharks are caught out by some inventive play from the line-out and Theo Dan charges away through the tackles.
Sarries are pushing but then the ball is spilled when they approach the line.
Sharks have the ball back but this has been a good response by the visitors.
Sharks 7-5 Saracens
The teams are keeping things tight as you would expect considering the conditions.
Saracens wing Angus Hall gets it wrong under the high ball but it goes backwards to a team-mate's hand.
It's a bit messy.
Marius Louw
Centre Marius Louw goes over for Sale but this try is all about Raffi Quirke's break.
The scrum-half breaks things open with a superb jinking run and eventually Louw gets an easy run in to score.
The French crowd are desperate for an obstruction call against Sale prop Willgriff John but the officials don't see anything untoward and the Sharks lead once more.
Clermont 7-5 Sale
Approaching the midway point of the first half and Sale are having to put in a big defensive effort to stop Clermont from adding to their score.
After going through the phases, Clermont try to spread the play out to the left but the pass is well off target and sails over the sideline.
Sharks 7-5 Saracens
Hold your horses... we're checking something from the Sarries line-out before Theo Dan scored.
It counts!
Referee Luc Ramos was shown the screen but there didn't look anything wrong at all and Sarries are back in it.
Fergus Burke missed the conversion so Sharks lead by two.
Theo Dan
He might have spilled one a little earlier but Theo Dan keeps the ball safely in his hands this time to power over from close range.
Yerim Fall (con: Bezy)
Clermont have been camped in Sale's half since Tom O'Flaherty's second-minute score and the Sharks do well to hold them out on a couple of occasions - but no longer.
Wing Yerim Fall goes over in the corner and scrum-half Sebastien Bezy knocks over the extra two points from near the touchline to put the French side in front.
Sharks 7-0 Saracens
Siya Kolisi is in the thick of the action again as he makes a good tackle on Saracens hooker Theo Dan that dislodges the ball bringing the attack to a premature end.
The sides may find handling tricky out there today, it's very wet.
