Whatever Leicester achieved last night, the shadow of their defeat by Cardiff Blues last week was always lingering over this game and this hard-fought win was duly rendered academic by Cardiff’s victory over Bath. Against a weakened but tenacious Sale Sharks side, who were already out of the competition, Leicester sealed their success only through their third try from Jordan Crane with the final play of the game.

The most significant aspect of their performance was the return of Lewis Moody, who played his first hour of the season after recovering from injuries to his hip and Achilles tendon. Moody had a hand in Leicester’s second try and was his usual effervescent self around the field.

“Lewis did well, he stole a few balls and his defence was great,” Heyneke Meyer, the Leicester head coach, said. “For a guy that hasn’t played for a long time, he did very well.” Leicester had led 13-0 at half-time, through two penalty goals from Derick Hougaard and a penalty try, awarded when Sale’s scrum capitulated during a series of scrums in their own 22.

Sale would have been closer at the break but for an extraordinary gaffe by Rudi Keil. After Seru Rabeni, the Leicester centre, had been turned over near his own line, Sale spread the ball right, where Keil had the line at his mercy. Inexplicably, he chose to turn back inside towards the covering defence, then threw out a panic-stricken pass that failed to find Ed Styles.

Leicester’s half-time lead looked comfortable, but within the first ten minutes of the second half, Sale had hauled themselves level. After Nick MacLeod had kicked two penalty goals, Chris Bell hacked ahead to score the first of his two tries.

But eight minutes later, Leicester were back in front. While Moody’s return has almost certainly come too late for England’s autumn internationals, Tom Varndell was released from the national squad last week due to his struggle for form. On a bitterly cold night, Varndell was given just one decent attacking pass and the wing took his chance. Put clear by Moody, he beat one man for pace, swerved inside before off-loading to Tom Youngs.

Yet Sale still refused to be beaten. When Sam Vesty misjudged a high ball, Bell was provided with his second try. Hougaard’s penalty edged Leicester back in front with six minutes remaining and Crane charged over from 20 metres to make the game safe.

Scorers: Leicester: Tries: Penalty (20min), T Youngs (58), Crane (80+5). Conversions: Hougaard 3. Penalty goals: Hougaard 3 (11, 14, 77).
Sale: Tries: Bell 2 (50, 70). Conversions: MacLeod 2. Penalty goals: MacLeod 2 (44, 49).

Scoring sequence (Leicester first): 3-0, 6-0, 13-0 (half-time), 13-3, 13-6, 13-13, 20-13, 20-20, 23-20, 30-20.

Leicester: M Smith (rep: S Vesty, 41); J Murphy, S Rabeni, T Youngs (rep: A Erinle, 73), T Varndell; D Hougaard, J Dupuy (rep: B Youngs, 40); B Stankovich (rep: M Ayerza, 54), B Kayser (rep: M Davies, 49), D Cole, R Blaze (rep: M Wentzel, 71), B Kay, B Deacon, L Moody (rep: J Crane, 61), C Newby.

Sale Sharks: D Doherty (rep: M Atkinson, 44); S Kuadey, C Bell, R Keil (rep: J Kennedy, 68), E Styles; N MacLeod, D Peel; R O’Donnell (sin-bin, 18-31; rep: R Davies, 60), M Jones (rep: D Ward, 62), S Turner, D Schofield, J White, J-M Fernández Lobbe, M Hills (rep: Davies, 18-31; rep: D Tait, 64), C Fearns.

Referee: J Jones (Wales).

Attendance: 16,550.