Opposition view: Sanderson hails Sale's 'northern grit' after win against Saints

The Sharks failed to score a point during the second period and were left hanging on at the end, having conceded a string of penalties and lost Rob du Preez to the sin bin.

But Saints couldn't find the final try they needed to set up a kick that could have won the game as Sale won a breakdown penalty to make sure of the victory.

"I was just praying no one gave away another penalty or yellow card but it's a game of inches," Sanderson said.

"It's like the Any Given Sunday speech by (Robert) De Niro and if you make an inch in any collision, your inching way forward so you've just got to win them all.

"Our attack was a bit better, our kicking game was there but the one thing you want to see at the start of a new campaign is that ticker, out-and-out, backs-to-the-wall, nose-to-the-grindstone northern grit.

"We've got a lot of our big bangers there from last season so we've got a lot of cohesion and we're not missing too many people from the pack.

"We wanted to see more enterprise in our attack and we saw that in glimpses during the first half.

"Our conversion rate in the first rate was 80 per cent, which is higher than anyone in the Prem last season, so we want to keep that and be dangerous when we get into those attacking areas.

"We lost our way a bit in pre-season so there was a recalibration and it's a constant assessment of seeing the opportunities we've missed in a game rather than just kicking on.

"We probably leaned back into that old style during the second half a bit too much and I'd like us to keep the ambition of the first half really."