Sale 26, Clermont Auvergne 17:Sale Sharks finished their Heineken Cup campaign on Saturday at Edgeley Park with a flourish as they ended any slim hopes Clermont Auvergne had of reaching the knock-out stages.

Sale only had pride to play for as they were already out of the running for a place in the quarter-finals.

The English side got off to a flying start thanks to wing Oriol Ripol.

Moments after putting in a brilliant try-saving tackle on South African Grant Esterhuizen, Ripol collected a pass in the Clermont 22 from flanker Luke Abrahams to go over for a try.

Outhalf Seremaia Bai got the Frenchmen off the mark with a penalty but the Sharks had territorial advantage through the opening half-hour but they couldn’t turn that into points.

Lions scrumhalf Dwayne Peel, who was overlooked by Wales coach Warren Gatland for their Six Nations squad, showed what the national boss will be missing as Sale turned over a Clermont ruck and the former Scarlets number nine sprinted 40 metres and past two would-be tacklers to dive in on the right.