Tigers Senior Academy claimed their ninth successive win on Friday night against a very strong Sale Sharks U18s side, edging a fast-paced contest 35–30 at Oval Park.

Tigers controlled long spells of the match, dominating the lineout through Calum Green and Dan Hemingway, and using a clever kicking game to turn Sale repeatedly. The four Tigers tries showcased the range of their attack: Will Hurrell produced a stunning 80-yard solo effort, bursting through midfield and outpacing the cover after chipping the ball over the top of the fullback; Andrew Forsyth cut a clean line off first phase to score under the posts; Seb Pearson powered over from a series of close-range carries; and Josh Goldspink finished a flowing multi-phase move late on. Joe Glover kept the scoreboard moving with 3 conversions and 3 penalties.

Sale’s backs threatened at the set piece all night, with Jonny Kennedy and Thomas Kilvington both striking from well-worked scrum plays, while Benjamin Lawrenson powered over at close range for their third. Michael Waywell converted all three tries and added 3 penalties to keep the pressure on.

Tigers held firm in the closing moments to seal another impressive academy victory and remain top of the Academy League.