Premiership leaders Bath comfortably kept top spot with a convincing performance to sink Sale at a rain-lashed Recreation Ground.

Second-half tries by captain Richard Webster and replacement scrum-half Andy Nicol saw Bath home after they built a solid 10-3 interval lead.

Jeremy Guscott: Hardly touched the ball

The atrocious weather nullified both back divisions - Bath star Jeremy Guscott having just three touches, while Sale's Great Britain Rugby League centre Barrie Jon Mather never got a look-in.

England squad member Mather, substituted 18 minutes from time, described the game as "the least interesting match I have ever played in".

That just about summed it up from Sale's point of view, their forwards being out-gunned by a committed Bath pack who were superbly led by Webster.

Fly-half Mike Catt enjoyed another successful afternoon with the boot, kicking five from six attempts including one brilliant touchline conversion that defied a gusting wind.

Both teams struggled early on - the match survived a pitch inspection 90 minutes before kick-off and then started 15 minutes late due to travel problems - and it took a 30th-minute penalty try before Bath settled down.

Referee Ashley Rowden finally lost his patience with the Sale forwards, and when they pulled down a maul, he ran straight between the posts for a penalty try award that Catt converted.

Sale's outstanding player, captain Shane Howarth, kicked an early penalty, but the Manchester side were never seriously in contention and have now lost five of their seven Premiership starts this season.

Their recent record at the Recreation Ground was good before kick-off, two wins and a draw from four visits, yet Bath established control early on and never looked back once the admirable Webster got his forwards going.

Webster's 55th-minute touchdown, after lock Ben Sturnham won clean line-out ball, killed off Sale, and not even a triple substitution could give them fresh hope.