Jacques Vermeulen scored two tries on his return as Exeter Chiefs hung on to beat Sale Sharks at Sandy Park.

But despite having the wind against them, Sale improved in the second half.

Hooker Ewan Ashman got one back before Curtis Langdon earned a losing bonus point as the visitors somehow kept the hosts scoreless after the break.

Exeter were twice denied a try bonus point in the final 10 minutes when they had two tries correctly chalked off - the first by winger Tom O'Flaherty for an aerial knock-on, then again when Sam Skinner went over, only for the video referee to flag up an offside much earlier in the move.

And it was from the resulting Sale penalty that AJ MacGinty's boot kicked for touch to set up the driving line-out platform that earned the Sharks their point.

Exeter finished the weekend where they started it - in fourth - now five points behind second-placed Saracens but only two points separate the Chiefs, fifth-placed London Irish and sixth-placed Gloucester.

Seventh-placed Sale are only five points back ahead of next Saturday's home game against Gloucester, but their fourth straight defeat by the Chiefs came at the further cost of injuries to flanker Cameron Neild, who was carried off, Cobus Wiese, Raffi Quirke and Coenie Oosthuizen.

By contrast, Vermeulen was playing for the first time this season, after recovering from two operation on his hamstring and he responded with two close-range touchdowns.

The first of them in the corner, then a second just before the break when Sale were down to 14 men after full-back Sam James was yellow carded for a deliberate knock-on.

This was also in the corner but Joe Simmonds converted from the touchline, for the second of two successful conversions.

Exeter: Hogg; Woodburn, Whitten, Hendrickson, O'Flaherty; J Simmonds, J Maunder; Hepburn, Yeandle (capt), Street, Kirsten, S Skinner, Ewers, Vermeulen, Capstick.

Replacements: Innard, Kenny, Williams, Witty, Grondona, S Maunder, H Skinner Cordero.

Sale: S James; Roebuck, R du Preez, van Rensburg, Reed; MacGinty, Quirke; Rodd, Ashman, Oosthuizen, Wiese, de Jager, JL du Preez, Ross (capt), D du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, McIntyre, Jones, JP du Preez, B Curry, de Klerk, L James, McGuigan.

Referee: Wayne Barnes.