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Almost everything is going swimmingly for the Bath team at this stage. At long last, their long-awaited stadium renovation appears set to proceed, and on the pitch, the title holders have secured two victories in two matches after the initial two rounds. With Finn Russell scheduled to return in action next week to regain the number 10 role, it is demands a outstanding side to dethrone them.

On a wet and windy night in Somerset, however, they were pushed to their limits by a tenacious Sale team who dug in deep and refused to go away. It was only with the final three minutes that Max Ojomoh dove over to score his side’s fourth try to maintain his squad’s flawless opening to the competition.

This was the Sharks’ fourth consecutive setback on their host’s stadium and the manner of it was largely familiar to previous matches. Bath excel in wearing down opponents in the last 20 minutes of games, and here was another example of it. The Bath side might have eased the pressure for themselves had they decided to go for an earlier penalty to widen the gap to eight points, but ultimately, Ojomoh had the last say.

The attending England head coach Steve Borthwick had plenty of other players to evaluate, with Ollie Lawrence and the rapid winger also looking eager to stand out. the Sharks’ hooker scored a second-half try and is evidently a promising talent, while the generalship and kicking accuracy of the unflappable George Ford stood out in testing conditions.

The fly-half was a standout for the away side despite the defeat.

It was yet another rain-soaked evening when a shelter on the open makeshift seating would have kept fans dry. Their admission can still cost £100, but a solution is close at hand. After decades of arguing, official approval has been granted for an 18,000-capacity stadium, with international authorities and the secretary of state having approved the plan.

That merely leaves Bath awaiting official documentation, which the club hope will be secured within a couple of months. And when Bath do eventually possess their own stadium by the river to enhance their remarkably team roster, life is going to become even tougher for away sides.

Not that Sale were in any mood to be overawed in a combative if slightly staccato first half. Bath were unlucky to lose their international forward Charlie Ewels to a knee injury inside eight minutes, and the the visitors’ forwards also made some initial progress. It was Bath, though, who showed resilience and notched the game’s opening touchdown, just when Sale were applying pressure they were breached down the left by Lawrence before the speedy Arundell darted past the defender to score his debut home league touchdown for his boyhood team.

It was to be the story of the half: glimpses of away team quality only for Bath to hit back with clinical execution. The game was still less than 30 minutes old when they added another try, the flanker slicing clear off the back of a Bath throw and feeding Cameron Redpath on his inside to score emphatically.

Luckily Sale still had the outstanding George Ford to stay within reach. The playmaker had already kicked a finely judged penalty and a smart drop-goal when a Bath drop-out rolled right to him on the center spot. Having taken a moment to set himself, the No 10 slotted another inch-perfect drop to reduce the lead before Beno Obano, from close range, secured Bath’s third touchdown with Sale’s captain the skipper temporarily suspended.

Fighting back from 21-9 as visitors would be a challenging endeavor under any circumstances, let alone against a Bath team with a man advantage and a strong substitutes. It was a reflection of Sale’s determination, then, when they created the try from short yardage just a few moments after the second-half kickoff to dispel any hosts’ assurance.

Typically that is the indication for Bath to raise their level, but this time the visitors were ready. They made their own raft of changes and, at a five-point game, it needed a stunning tackle from Sam Underhill to contain the powerful carries of Marius Louw. A massive hit by Tom Burrow also led to the Bath player to exit early, but where it really counted, up on the scoreboard, Bath consistently deliver these days.