News

Sale Sharks face Bath in Round 4 of the LV= Cup

New Names for Sharks

Friday, February 5th 2010

Sale Sharks have named their team to face Bath in the final Pool game of the LV= Cup at The Recreation Ground on Saturday (2.15 p.m.).

Outside centre Jordan Davies is set to make his debut, whilst fly half Mark Atkinson will make his first senior start. On the bench, prop Dan Birchall and the Oxford University pair Ian Kench and Alex Cheeseman will make their Sharks’ debuts if they enter the field of play.

Team: Marika Vakacegu; Oriol Ripol, Jordan Davies, David Bishop, Ben Cohen; Mark Atkinson, Chris Leck; Gavin Kerr, Mahonri Schwalger, Martin Halsall, Dean Schofield (capt), Sean Cox, Carl Fearns, David Seymour, Kristian Ormsby.

Replacements: Marc Jones, Rob O’Donnell, Dan Birchall, Chris Jones, Ian Kench, Will Cliff, Alex Cheeseman, David Doherty.

On standby: Ben Roberts, Ed Styles.

Sharks’ Director of Rugby Kingsley Jones said, “We go to Bath trying to return to winning ways. It’s very important to the club that we start winning after some hard games recently. Bath’s a great play to go and play, and a tough place to win. There are opportunities for some younger guys, and for players looking for contract renewals and the chance to play in the rest of the Guinness Premiership programme. Ultimately, we feel that freshening the team with some new faces, playing with experienced forwards, gives us the best chance to go to The Rec. and get a win. Obviously, we have to look at other teams’ results, but we still have a chance of making the semi final.”

Sharks Info: Ian Kench (23) and Alex Cheeseman (21) were both in the Oxford side which narrowly lost the Varsity match last December. Alex scored a late consolation try for the Dark Blues to bring the score up to 31-27. Former Shark John Carter also played in the side.

Ian, a lock, is studying on an M.Sc. course on Water Science, Policy & Management. He has been training at Carrington for almost a month. Ian has previously played for Chesterfield and Nottingham, and for England Under-18 & Students. Alex, from Marlow, was educated at RGS High Wycombe and is reading Geography at St.Edmund Hall. Although he has played at flanker, his most recent rugby has been at centre. Alex has played for Henley Hawks.

MARIKA VAKACEGU of Sale Sharks has been cited for allegedly making contact with the eyes or eye area of Joe Ansboro during the LV= Cup match against Northampton Saints on January 29.

Vakacegu has been charged with an act contrary to good sportsmanship - a breach of Law 10(4)(l) - following a report from the independent citing officer Mike Rafter.

He is summoned to appear before a Rugby Football Union Disciplinary Panel of Antony Davies (chairman), Barry O'Driscoll and Peter Rhodes at the Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel on Tuesday, February 9 (7pm).