Preview: Sale v Leeds
Dafydd James makes his home Guinness Premiership debut for Sale Sharks on Friday when they take on bottom club Leeds at home.
Dafydd James makes his home Guinness Premiership debut for Sale Sharks on Friday when they take on bottom club Leeds at home.
Prop Gavin Kerr is given a start against his former club.
“Leeds will be hard to beat,” said Head Coach Kingsley Jones.
“They've got a good set piece and they're desperate for a win. It's a game that a lot of things hinge on so we really need to improve our discipline in our game.”
Meanwhile, the entire 23-man Leeds squad that was selected last week to face Leicester has been retained as they look to overhaul the five-point advantage that Worcester have over them at the foot of the Guinness Premiership table.
That means that hooker Andy Titterrell will face his former club. Titterrell made 122 appearances for the Sharks in seven seasons, helping the club to their only ever Premiership title in 2006.
Form: Sale Sharks are in the midst of an unwanted run of five successive losses in all competitions, although the Sharks have not lost at home in the Guinness Premiership since London Irish were the visitors on 2 October. Leeds Carnegie have slipped to four straight defeats in all competitions. Leeds have won just one of their last six matches in the Guinness Premiership, but have scored at least one league point in their last four games. The two teams have already met twice this season with Sale victorious on both occasions in November: 27-3 in the LV= Cup at Edgeley Park and 24-17 at Headingley Carnegie in the Guinness Premiership. Leeds have never beaten the Sharks in 17 previous attempts in all competitions.
Sale Sharks: 15 Marika Vakacegu, 14 Dafydd James, 13 David Bishop, 12 Lee Thomas, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Carl Fearns, 6 Kristian Ormsby, 5 Dean Schofield, 4 Chris Jones, 3 Eifion Roberts, 2 Neil Briggs, 1 Gavin Kerr.
Replacements: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Rob O'Donnell, 18 Martin Halsall, 19 Sean Cox, 20 David Seymour, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Ed Styles, 23 Oriol Ripol.
Leeds: 15 Leigh Hinton, 14 Henry Fa'afili, 13 Seru Rabeni, 12 Scott Barrow, 11 Lee Blackett, 10 Ceiron Thomas, 9 Andy Gomarsall, 8 Rhys Oakley, 7 Hendre Fourie, 6 Calum Clark, 5 Marco Wentzel (C), 4 Erik Lund, 3 Juan Gomez, 2 Andy Titterrell, 1 Mike MacDonald.
Replacements: 16 Vili Ma'asi, 17 Gareth Hardy, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Alfie To'oala, 21 Scott Mathie, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Richard Welding.
Date: Friday, February 19
Venue: Edgeley Park
Kick-off: 19.45 GMT
Referee: Dave Pearson.