Rob du Preez returns to the Sharks side while hooker Ethan Caine will start an Investec Champions Cup game for the first time as Alex Sanderson makes three changes to his side for the quarter-final trip to the Aviva Stadium to face Leinster (KO 5.30pm, LIVE on Premier Sports).
Caine starts in the middle of a front row that also features prop Si McIntyre, who will wear the number one shirt after fellow loosehead Bevan Rodd was ruled out with a dislocated shoulder.
McIntyre and Caine are joined in an all-Sharks Academy front-row by England tighthead Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who made his comeback from injury in the last round at The Stoop.
Skipper Ernst van Rhyn once again teams up with Ben Bamber in the second row while Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale and Dan du Preez once again make up a dynamic back row.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half with George Ford at fly-half and outside them, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White is joined in the centres by Rob du Preez.
Tom Roebuck starts again on the right wing with Tom O’Flaherty and full-back Joe Carpenter making up an exciting back three.
Academy hooker Alfie Longstaff is joined on the bench by props Ralph McEachran and James Harper. Jos Gilmore and Reuben Logan are the other forwards named as replacements.
Dom Hanson, Marius Louw and Alex Wills make up the rest of the bench.
Sharks DoR Alex said his team are comfortable with their underdogs tag, but he said they’re not travelling to Dublin to make up the numbers.
He said: “We’ll need to be at our best because there is no bigger challenge in club rugby. We’re well aware of that but we’re not the type of team to back down from a challenge.
“We’re not going there to be part of their party and to make up numbers. We’re taking Manchester on the road and we’re going to have a proper dig at them.
“This is a team that rises to challenges and finds the best of itself when their backs are against the wall. We understand that we’re going there as underdogs but we’re going to go after them and do it for 80 minutes.”
Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Ethan Caine, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn ©, 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8 Dan du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Alfie Longstaff, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. James Harper, 19. Reuben Logan, 20. Jos Gilmore, 21. Dom Hanson, 22. Marius Louw, 23. Alex Wills.
