Steve Diamond makes three changes to his Starting XV as the Sale Sharks Director of Rugby names his side to face Gloucester at Kingsholm on Friday night.
Ahead of the Sharks round 12 trip to the West-Country, Will Griff-John returns from Wales’ Six Nations camp to slot into the front row alongside last week’s man of the match Rob Webber and Coenie Oosthuizen, with Jake Cooper-Woolley taking his place on the bench after starting vs Leicester last weekend.
Jean-Luc du Preez and Bryn Evans remain in the second row, with the only other change in the forwards being the inclusion of Ben Curry at openside flanker after Mark Wilson was called into England’s training camp mid-week. Jono Ross captains the team from Blindside.
Will Cliff and Rob Du Preez continue to develop their chemistry at half back in the absence of Faf de Klerk and AJ MacGinty who both remain side-lined through injury as we enter the second half of the season.
Sam and Luke James make up an unchanged centre partnership this weekend and after an outstanding hat trick performance at the AJ Bell last Friday, Marland Yarde keeps his place on the wing for Friday’s match. The former England International is joined by Scotland wing Byron McGuigan and Simon Hammersley in the back three tomorrow night.
Ahead of tomorrow’s match, Steve Diamond was wary of the threat the Cherry and Whites possess at Kingsholm, and admits their form over the last few weeks is nothing to go off, he said: “Despite their recent run of results, Gloucester have threats all over the park and are well coached by Johan Akerman. Each and every one of our players needs to put their hand up this weekend as it will be a difficult task on Friday night. Having said that we have a fantastic opportunity ahead of us to really push on up the table so it’s important we take it with both hands.”
