Five months ago, London Irish denied Sale Sharks a place in the Guinness Premiership play-offs with a shock win at Edgeley Park. Last night at the Madejski Stadium, the same club made a nonsense of Sale’s immaculate defensive record this season, terminated the one remaining unbeaten record in the Premiership and removed them with surgical precision from the top of the table.

When Sailosi Tagicakibau crossed for the bonus-point try four minutes from time, it was no more than the Irish deserved. Despite a poor return from their normally outstanding lineout, their willingness in attack and their iron defence (a tribute to the coaching of Barry-Jon Mather) ensured that they dominated the second half and reduced Sale’s star-studded line-up to anonymity.

Worse for Sale was the potential loss for three months of Sébastien Bruno, the France hooker, who tore a bicep, but they also paid dearly for the absence of a genuine open-side flanker. The game was decided at the breakdown and here, the Irish dominated, Steffon Armitage sustaining his outstanding form of September and Richard Thorpe enjoying the distinction of being the first player to cross Sale’s line this season.

He did so when Sale were down to 14 men, losing Chris Bell to the sin-bin at the same time as Sean Cox hobbled off with knee damage. It was the moment when the Irish assumed the ascendancy, after Charlie Hodgson had threatened to keep Sale in the game with his goalkicking. His two first-half penalty goals cancelled out Peter Hewat’s penalty and dropped goal, but Hewat’s value to his side was far greater through his shrewd manipulation of play from fly half.

He not only kept his forwards on the front foot, the width of his passing drew the best from his threequarters, Tagicakibau’s try being the best example. But if Hewat was in rampant form behind the scrum, his forward equivalent was the young prop, Alex Corbisiero, who made the barging run that set up Hewat for his side’s second try.

Corbisiero then planted his own name on the scoresheet. He finished what Delon Armitage, with a sinuous run from a quick lineout, started and Seilala Mapusua carried on. Given the ferocious tackle by Mapusua on Luke McAlister straight from the kick-off, Sale were forewarned of the storm about to break but could do nothing to prevent it.

Scorers: London Irish: Tries: Thorpe (38min), Hewat (53), Corbisiero (61), Tagicakibau (76). Conversion: Hewat. Penalty goal: Hewat (17). Dropped goal: Hewat (33). Sale Sharks: Penalty goals: Hodgson 2 (29, 40).

Scoring sequence (London Irish first): 3-0, 3-3, 6-3, 11-3, 11-6 (half-time), 16-6, 23-6, 28-6.

London Irish: D Armitage; T Ojo, E Seveali’i, S Mapusua, S Tagicakibau; P Hewat (rep: E Hickey, 77), P Hodgson (rep: P Richards, 55); A Corbisiero (rep: D Murphy, 62), D Coetzee (rep: D Paice, 55), T Lea’aetoa (rep: F Rautenbach, 41), N Kennedy (rep: G Johnson, 77), R Casey, R Thorpe, S Armitage, C Hala’ufia (rep: D Danaher, 68).

Sale Sharks: M Tait (rep: L Thomas, 68); M Cueto, L McAlister, C Bell (sin-bin 37-47), D Doherty (rep: R Lamont, 47); C Hodgson, D Peel; A Sheridan, N Briggs (rep: S Bruno, 47-54), S Turner (rep: E Roberts, 55), D Schofield, S Cox (rep: J White, 37), K Ormsby, J M Fernández Lobbe, S Chabal (rep: L Abraham, 57).

Referee: A Rowden. Attendance: 7,563.