Sale might have taken a nibble out of Connacht's Parker Pen Shield qualification hopes in Galway a week earlier, but on Saturday the high-flying Zurich Premiership side took a giant bite, leaving the Irish province reeling from their first hefty defeat of the season at Heywood Park on Saturday.

Depleted by injury, Connacht, without their leader Mark McConnell, hooker Marnus Uijs, number eight Des Dillon, and centre Darren Yapp, could not sustain the type of momentum coach Steph Nel had built earlier in the season.

Sale had blown Connacht away by the 24th minute when they led by 15-0. As early as the second minute, after Connacht had lost possession from the drop-out, flanker Apollo Perelini scampered in for a try from an overlap, which outhalf Charlie Hodgson converted.

Ten minutes later Sale prop Adam Black, from a simple lineout and drive, claimed a controversial try having looked to have knocked on.

By the 24th minute Hodgson added a penalty. O'Connor, back after a three-week suspension, injected pace in Connacht's rare attacks, while Elwood landed two penalties, sandwiched by a Mark Cueto try after yet another Connacht knock-on.

After the interval Hodgson added a 47th-minute try to end any Connacht hopes and Scott Lines added another from a lineout drive, while former Connacht player Mel Deane added a brace to bring Sale's total to six tries.

Scoring sequence: 2 mins: Perelini try, Hodgson con, 7-0; 13 mins: Black try, 12-0; 24 mins: Hodgson pen, 15-0; 26 mins: Elwood pen 15-3; 29 mins: Cueto try, Hodgson con 22-3; 32 mins: Elwood pen 22 - 6; half-time: 22- 6; 47 mins: Hodgson try 27-6; 64 mins: Deane try Hodgson con 34-6; 79 mins: Lines try, 39-6; 82 mins: Deane try, Davidson con 44-6.

SALE: V Going; M Cueto, M Shaw, M Deane, A Elliott; C Hodgson, J Bramhall; A Black, A Titterall, S Turner, I Fullarton, M Giacheri, A Perellinie, R Wilkes, A Sanderson (capt). Replacements: S Hanley for Cueto (56 min), S Lines for Perelini (60 min), B Jackman for Titterall and K Yates for Turner (60 min), S Davidson for Hodgson (78 min), P Anglesea for Giacheri (70 min), A Dickens for Bramhall (77 min).

CONNACHT: G Duffy; P Duignan, W Munn, T Allnutt, J Ferris; E Elwood, E Reddan; D McFarland (cpt), T Kearns, P Bracken, R Frost, D Browne, P Neville, J O'Connor, C Rigney. Replacements: M McHugh for Elwood, M Swift for Neville, R McCormack for Bracken (55min), A Maher for Browne, H Bourke for Kearns, M McPhail for Duignan (68 min).

Referee: S Manchini (Italy).

Sale Sharks ... 44

Connacht ... 6