They closed the gates for the first time this season at Heywood Road and Sale slammed the door on Gloucester's ambitions of finishing second in the Zurich Premiership.
Gloucester did what was asked of them at Leeds but the Sharks ran in six tries to clinch that all important bonus point and a lap of honour, a rare sight at a club supposed to finish in the relegation zone.
It was quite a moment for home-bred coaches Jim Mallinder and Steve Diamond who have vindicated owner Brian Kennedy's faith in them after giving up on using southern hemisphere coaches.
"We have just had three games in eight days and I am so proud of the boys for the way they played because they picked up bonus points in all three," Mallinder said. "They have been fantastic this season and exceeded all our expectations.
"Next weekend we face Wasps in the Zurich Championship. They will be up for it because that could be their route into Europe but we are on a roll at the moment. You get into the winning habit and we have only lost twice this year."
There was nothing in it for Harlequins, already safe from the threat of relegation despite the Rotherham fiasco, but they played as though they meant it for the best part of an hour.
In the end Sale upped the tempo and that was not the type of game Quins really fancied playing. Games between these two clubs are often high-scoring affairs, however, there was scant evidence of that in a first half during which Harlequins dominated possession but were unable to do much with it.
They ran repeatedly into a blue wall without showing any real ambition to work their way around it. The only other tactic was to kick the ball deep, and generally out of England full back Jason Robinson's way.
Robinson had few opportunities and it was left to the Premiership's highest try scorer, wing Mark Cueto, to pose problems for Quins, along with Mel Deane whose contribution was described by Mallinder as "outstanding".
Cueto scored before half-time to leave Sale holding a fragile lead against the run of play, but the second period belonged to Sale.
Deane made the breakthrough when he side-stepped under the post and Cueto grabbed his 13th of a remarkable season.
One more was still needed for the crucial bonus point so playmaker Charlie Hodgson jinked his way over with 12 minutes remaining.
Sale: Robinson; Cueto, Baxendell, Deane (Going, 70), Elliott; Hodgson, Redpath (capt) (Dickens, 74), Yates (Black, 47), Titterrell (Marais, 59), Turner (Stewart, 63), Lines (Giacheri, 69), Jones, Sanderson, Anglesea (Wilks, 59), Pinkerton.
Tries: Cueto 2, Deane, Hodgson, Marais, Baxendell. Cons: Hodgson 5 .
Harlequins: Gollings; Jewell, Bell, Greenstock, Moore (Slemen, 70); Burke (Mapletoft, 45), Powell (Duncombe, 29); Leonard (capt) (Starr, 59), Tiatia (Fuga, 45), Douglas, Codling, Davison, Winters, Diprose, White-Cooper.
Try: Moore. Pens: Burke, Mapletoft.
Referee: C White.
Attendance: 5,678.
