TEAM NEWS: SALE SHARKS v HARLEQUINS
Alex Sanderson makes just one enforced change to his side for the visit of Harlequins on Sunday (KO 3pm, live on TNT Sports) with Fijian back-rower Elia Canakaivata starting a PREM game for the first time – while Ben Curry also makes his return to a matchday squad for the first time in ten months.
Your Sharks are hunting a second consecutive win after a gutsy display at the StoneX last time out gave them their first victory of the season.
And the Sharks DoR has stuck with the players who performed so well in North London, including player of the match and former Harlequin Nathan Jibulu, who keeps his place despite the return to fitness of England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.
The Sharks Director of Rugby says his players are expecting an emotional backlash from a Quins team heavily beaten by Gloucester in round two and to counter their threat up front he’s picked the same front row that performed so well at the StoneX with Jibulu packing down between Nicky Smith and Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
There’s a familiar sight in the second row as skipper Ernst van Rhyn teams up with Ben Bamber, who scored a memorable try to clinch the win over Saracens.
Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry and Canakaivata combine once again in an abrasive back row.
With Xavier Roe still in New Zealand as he awaits the birth of his first child, Gus Warr and George Ford are the half-backs once again and they’ll have Alex Lozowski and another former Harlequin Joe Marchant outside them in the centres.
In the back three, wingers Tom O’Flaherty and Arron Reed start either side of full-back Joe Carpenter.
There’s plenty of experience on the Sharks bench with Cowan-Dickie the replacement hooker and Si McIntyre and Tomas Francis the props in reserve.
Christ Tshiunza and Ben Curry are the other forwards on the bench with scrum-half Dom Hanson, centre Marius Louw and winger Ponipate Loganimasi making up the rest of the replacements.
ASM Clermont Auvergne vs Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks’ Ben Curry
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Manuel Blondeau
Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Joe Marchant, 12. Alex Lozowski, 11. Arron Reed, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Nicky Smith, 2. Nathan Jibulu, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn (c), 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Courtney Lawes, 7. Tom Curry, 8. Elia Canakaivata.
Replacements:
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. Tomas Francis, 19. Christ Tshiunza, 20. Ben Curry, 21. Dom Hanson, 22. Marius Louw, 23. Ponipate Loganimasi
Unavailable for selection:
Luke James (hamstring)
Tom Roebuck (calf strain)
Xavier Roe (flown home)
Jacques Vermeulen (suspension)
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