SALE Sharks threw away a 17-point lead – and then came back from a 10-point deficit – as they played out a bonus point 36-36 draw against Saracens on Saturday.

Sam James, Johnny Leota and Tom Arscott all went over in the opening stages, before Saracens came back with 22 unanswered points to end the half ahead.

Danny Cipriani scored three penalties to put Sale back in the lead, before Saracens wrested back the initiative with two tries.

Late tries from TJ Ioane and Arscott restored parity once more, as Cipriani missed the chance to settle a topsy-turvy clash with four failed conversions.

Sam James opened the scoring at the AJ Bell Stadium on seven minutes, as the Sharks put together a lightning counter-attack started and finished by the centre.

Cipriani converted, but that proved to be a red herring for what was to come, as tries from Leota and Arscott before the quarter-hour mark went unconverted.

The league leaders took advantage of the let-off on 20 minutes, as Jim Hamilton applied the final touches to a rolling maul.

Charlie Hodgson – who made 228 appearances for the Sharks across an 11-year spell – converted, and added a penalty to reduce the deficit to seven points.

Hodgson was beginning to dictate matters – orchestrating the first of two tries for Chris Wyles – before he left the field to a standing ovation with an injury.

Wyles scored his second try in the corner two minutes before the break, as Ben Spencer took over kicking duties to positive effect, giving Saracens a 22-17 half-time lead.

Cipriani stopped the rot for Sale eight minutes into the second half, kicking the first of three penalties in a ten-minute period.

Just as the Sharks looked like they might kick on and secure the victory, however, Will Addison juggled a pass into the hands of Wyles, who offloaded to Nick Tompkins to score.

Spencer converted once more, and Sale again gifted Saracens a try on 66 minutes, when Mike Ellery intercepted Leota’s pass to go over.

Another Spencer conversion put the score at 36-26 to Saracens, before the game took another twist, with Ioane scoring off the back of a driving maul.

And in the 79th minute, Sale drew level as Arscott went over in the corner, but with the crowd poised to celebrate victory, Cipriani again missed the conversion, leaving the Sharks to settle for a draw.