Fit again Tom Curry (calf) and Raffi Quirke (hamstring) return to the Sharks side to face play-off chasing Leicester Tigers on Sunday (live on TNT Sports, KO 3pm) as Alex Sanderson makes four changes to his XV following the defeat at Gloucester on Friday.
James Harper also comes into the front row while England prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour switches from tighthead to loosehead. And there’s a return to the starting XV for the first time since November for Luke James, who replaces Marius Louw at outside centre.
After two tries in his first two games, Academy hooker Alfie Longstaff starts again in a front row that includes Opoku-Fordjour and Harper at tighthead.
Skipper Ernst van Rhyn moves back into the second row to partner Ben Bamber while in the back row, England flanker Curry starts his first game since the January defeat to Northampton Saints alongside Jacques Vermeulen and Sam Dugdale.
Quirke has recovered from a hamstring injury to start at scrum-half with George Ford at fly-half and outside them, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White is joined in the centres by the versatile James.
Joe Carpenter continues at full-back and he’ll have Tom O’Flaherty and Tom Roebuck either side of him on the wings.
On the bench, Academy hooker Wills Austin is joined by props Patreece Bell and Ralph McEachran. Hyron Andrews and Seb Kelly are the other forwards named as replacements as Alex opts for a 5-3 split.
Gus Warr, Ollie Davies and Arron Reed make up the rest of the bench.
Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Luke James, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Raffi Quirke; 1. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2. Alfie Longstaff, 3. James Harper, 4. Ernst van Rhyn ©, 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Tom Curry.
Replacements:
16. Wills Austin, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. Patreece Bell, 19. Hyron Andrews, 20. Seb Kelly, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Ollie Davies, 23. Arron Reed.
