Sale name strong side for rearranged Worcester clash

Adam Kyriacou
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Sale Sharks have named a strong starting line-up for their rearranged Premiership clash with Worcester Warriors at the AJ Bell Stadium on Wednesday.

Following a confirmed 19 positive Covid-19 cases at the club last week, Steve Diamond’s options are in short supply, however the club are able to field a matchday squad for the fixture.

Valery Morozov, Cameron Neild and Ross Harrison make up the front-row for the high-stakes game with Worcester, with Morozov making the switch to tighthead prop for the first time since joining the club.

Jean-Luc du Preez and Matt Postlethwaite combine to form a powerful lock partnership, with the Sharks deploying a familiar back-row of Jono Ross, Tom Curry and Daniel du Preez for the rescheduled fixture.

Will Cliff and Robert du Preez link up in the half-back roles, the trusted pair know each other well after a string of solid performances together throughout early stages of the 2019/20 season.

Elsewhere, Premiership stalwart Cliff and Springbok fly-half Du Preez are joined in the backline by Sam Hill and Sam James, who take their places in the midfield after combining for 60 minutes during the Sharks’ clash with Northampton Saints last Tuesday. Marland Yarde, Denny Solomona and Luke James complete the XV.

Worcester make one change

Meanwhile, Worcester Warriors have made one change to their XV for the match, with Sam Lewis starting on the openside flank in place of Matt Kvesic who has been ruled out by a sore Achilles tendon.

Matti Williams takes Kvesic’s place on the bench in the other change to the squad that was selected for the scheduled original fixture on Sunday.

The match was postponed on health grounds after 16 Sale players and three members of their staff tested positive for COVID-19.

A number of COVID-related health and safety matters have yet to be resolved and the fixture still requires the approval of Premiership Rugby, the RFU and Public Health England.

If the match is played loosehead prop Callum Black is set to become the latest Warriors player to join the 100 club.

Black made his 99th appearance when he came off the bench in last Wednesday’s victory over Saracens at Sixways and he has again been named as a replacement for the trip to Manchester.

If Black does reach his century of appearances at Sale he will become only the 27th Warrior to reach the landmark in the professional era but the fifth this season following Ryan Mills, Ryan Bower, GJ van Velze and Matt Cox.

Black, 34, made 51 appearances his first spell with the Warriors having progressed through the academy at Sixways and he then played more than 140 times for Ulster before he re-joined Warriors two years ago.

Form: Sale Sharks’ only defeat in their last seven first-team fixtures was 22-37 at home to Bath in Gallagher Premiership Rugby on 13 September. The Sharks have lost on two other occasions at AJ Bell Stadium in Premiership Rugby this season, against Gloucester in Round One and Exeter in Round 15. Worcester Warriors have won their last two Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches but have not won three in succession in the tournament since March 16. The Warriors’ 40-25 victory at London Irish on their most recent away game was their first victory on the road since November. Worcester have beaten Sale on the last three occasions they have met in all competitions including a 2013 victory at Sixways in round five of Gallagher Premiership Rugby, but have never achieved a Premiership Rugby season’s double over Sharks. Worcester’s most recent victory on Sale’s soil was at Edgeley Park in November 2008.

The teams:

Sale Sharks: 15 Luke James, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Sam James, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Will Cliff, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Jono Ross (c), 5 Jean-Luc du Preez, 4 Matt Postlethwaite, 3 Valerey Morozov, 2 Cameron Neild, 1 Ross Harrison
Replacements: 16 Ewan Ashman, 17 Cal Ford, 18 Joe Jones, 19 Ewan Murphy, 20 Sam Dugdale, 21 Joe Bedlow, 22 Tom Curtis, 23 Connor Doherty

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Melani Nanai, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 12 Scott van Breda, 11 Noah Heward, 10 Billy Searle, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Marco Mama, 7 Sam Lewis, 6 Ted Hill (c), 5 Andrew Kitchener, 4 Anton Bresler, 3 Richard Palframan, 2 Beck Cutting, 1 Ethan Waller
Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Callum Black, 18 Joe Morris, 19 Joe Batley 20 Matti Williams, 21 Tom Dodd, 22 Gareth Simpson, 23 Jamie Shillcock

Venue: AJ Bell Stadium
Kick-off: 19:45 BST
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant Referees: Neil Chivers, Wayne Falla
TMO: Andrew Jackson

 

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