STEVE Diamond declared himself delighted with Sale Sharks’s bonus point draw against Saracens, after his side played out a 36-36 thriller at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday.

Sale raced into a 17-point lead before they came back from a 10-point deficit late on, and could have won it but for a series of missed Danny Cipriani conversions.

And Sale’s director of rugby couldn’t fault his side’s effort as the Sharks preserved their unbeaten home record.

“We were 10 points behind with 15 minutes to go so to come back and get to that, we are delighted,” Diamond said.

"We gave a couple of soft tries away with interceptions, they had a dubious try in the corner but we can't moan – we just have to get on with it and take the three points.

"They could have won it, like we could have won it, so I think a draw was the fair result."

Diamond refused to criticise Cipriani, whose conversion rate of one in five proved the difference between a draw and a win.

Diamond has questioned his move to Wasps at the end of the season, but backed his man, stating that Cipriani is improving every week.

"Danny has come on, we are working on every bit of his game - his ball in hand play and his tactical kicking was good,” he said.

“It would have been an unfair result if we won it with that last kick.

"We had a little tiff last week – his head wasn't on it the week before last but now he is back on it."

Sharks are on home soil again on Saturday when they host Harlequins at the AJ Bell Stadium, kick off 2.30pm.