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Almost everything is going swimmingly for Bath at this moment. Finally, their long-awaited stadium upgrade appears set to proceed, and on the pitch, the champions have started with back-to-back wins after the opening pair of fixtures. With Finn Russell scheduled to return in action next week to regain the number 10 role, it is demands a outstanding side to take their title.

On a wet and windy night in Somerset, nonetheless, they were pushed to their limits by a resilient Sale Sharks team who refused to yield and would not surrender. It was only with the final three minutes that the Bath center crossed the line to score his side’s fourth try to preserve his squad’s unbeaten record to the competition.

This was Sale’s fourth successive loss on their rival’s home turf and the nature of the loss was mostly typical to previous performances. Bath excel in wearing down opponents in the final quarter of games, and here was another example of it. The Bath side might have eased the pressure for themselves had they chosen to take an earlier penalty to widen the gap to eight points, but finally, Ojomoh had the final word.

The observing England head coach Steve Borthwick had an abundance of other players to evaluate, with Ollie Lawrence and Henry Arundell also looking eager to catch his eye. Sale’s Nathan Jibulu claimed a second-half try and is evidently a promising talent, while the leadership and precision kicking of the composed the veteran fly-half were notable in challenging elements.

Ford’s performance was exceptional for the away side despite the setback.

It was one more wet and miserable matchday when a roof on the open interim structure would have protected drenched spectators. Their entry passes can still cost £100, but a solution is close at hand. After lengthy debates, the green light has been given for an 18,000-seat stadium, with international authorities and the relevant official having endorsed the project.

That now depends on Bath awaiting final authorization, which the club are confident will materialise within a short period. And once Bath do at last own their own waterside arena to complement their remarkably team roster, life is going to become more challenging for away sides.

Not that Sale were in any frame of mind to be frightened in a physical if a bit stop-start first half. Bath were unlucky to lose their international forward Charlie Ewels to a knock inside eight minutes, and the Sale’s pack also made some early headway. It was Bath, though, who showed resilience and notched the game’s first try, just when Sale were applying pressure they were breached down the left side by Lawrence before the swift Arundell darted past the defender to score his first home Prem try for his long-supported side.

It was to be the narrative of the half: encouraging visiting flashes only for Bath to hit back with devastating effectiveness. The game was still less than 30 minutes old when they found the line once more, Miles Reid breaking through off the back of a home lineout and feeding Cameron Redpath on his shoulder to score emphatically.

Luckily Sale still had the superb Ford to stay within reach. The playmaker had already landed a expertly taken penalty and a smart drop kick when a Bath drop-out skidded directly to him on the halfway line. Having taken a brief pause to compose himself, the No 10 nailed another accurate kick to reduce the lead before Beno Obano, from near the line, secured Bath’s third try with Sale’s captain Ernst Van Rhyn serving a yellow card.

Mounting a comeback from a twelve-point deficit away from home would be a difficult task anywhere, not to mention against a Bath team with a man advantage and a stacked bench. It was a testament to Sale’s resolve, then, when they worked Jibulu over from near the line just a few moments after the restart to puncture any home complacency.

Ordinarily that is the signal for Bath to raise their level, but this time the Sharks were ready. They made their own series of substitutions and, at 21-16, it took a stunning tackle from Sam Underhill to contain the powerful carries of Marius Louw. A big collision by Tom Burrow also forced Ted Hill to be substituted injured, but where it mattered most, up on the points tally, Bath repeatedly succeed these days.