Raffi Quirke returns to the Sharks starting XV for the final league match of the season against Exeter, while former Chiefs Jonny Hill, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Tom O’Flaherty all start as Alex Sanderson’s men look to secure a semi-final spot at Sandy Park (LIVE on Discovery+ and BBC Radio Manchester, KO 3.05pm).
The Sharks Director of Rugby makes three changes to his side following the round 17 home win against Bristol, with winger Arron Reed also returning in place of the injured Tom Roebuck (calf).
England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie returns to the Sharks side after missing the win against the Bears and he’ll start in the front row alongside fellow international props Bevan Rodd and Asher Opoku-Fordjour.
Jonny Hill starts with Ernst van Rhyn once again in the second-row while Alex has named an unchanged back-row as Jean-Luc du Preez starts at blindside flanker, skipper Ben Curry lines up at openside and Dan du Preez starts at number 8.
England scrum-half Quirke and George Ford combine at half-back and they’ll have Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and the ever-present Rob du Preez outside them in the centres.
In the back three, O’Flaherty starts on the right wing with Scotland winger Reed on the left and Joe Carpenter at 15.
Si McIntyre, Wales prop WillGriff John and Tadgh McElroy are the front-row replacements with Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale the other forwards on the bench.
Scrum-half Gus Warr, Luke James and Alex Wills are the backs replacements.
Alex said: “This season has been below par for Exeter but we haven’t won down at Sandy Park in my time here, and we know this is going to be a very tough game.
“They’ve doubled down on the things that have always made them competitive and difficult to play against – their physicality, their set-piece, their work ethic. All the things they’ve worn on their sleeve for more than a decade. We expect that and more. We’re planning to face the best of them.
“It’s been a really hard season for me personally. I broke my ribs and had to coach through the physical pain, then I lost my dad about a month ago. It was his time but there was a lot of emotional pain. The lads pulled me through.
“I’d go through all of that pain to have this opportunity to achieve something special. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions, I don’t want this to stop. I don’t want it to end on Saturday.”
Sale Sharks Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. George Ford 9. Raffi Quirke, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. JL du Preez, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Ben Bamber, 20. Sam Dugdale, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Luke James, 23. Alex Wills.
Officials:
Referee: Christophe Ridley
Assistant referee 1: Dan Jones
Assistant referee 2: Neil Chivers
TMO: Ian Tempest
Match stats:
- Sale Sharks’ only defeat in the last six rounds of Gallagher Premiership Rugby was 34-44 at Leicester on 9 May.
- The Sharks have won three of their last five away games in the tournament.
- Sale beat Exeter 28-10 in Salford in Round 8 and have never achieved a Premiership Rugby double over the Chiefs in the same season.
- Sale’s only two previous victories at Sandy Park came in 2014 and 2020.
- George Ford scored a round-high 16 points in Round 17. He was 100% off the tee and also scored a try.
- Ben Curry made four clean breaks in Round 17, the joint-most in the round. He also assisted a try.
- Joe Carpenter made a round-high six offloads in Round 17. He also beat four defenders and made two clean breaks.
