Hooker Ethan Caine makes his first Gallagher Premiership start, while Gus Warr, Ernst van Rhyn, Si McIntyre, Will Addison, Arron Reed, Sam Dugdale and WillGriff John all return to the starting XV to face Bath on Sunday afternoon (live on TNT Sports + ITV4, 3pm KO, Sunday 26th January).
In the backs, centre Rekeiti Ma’asi-White keeps his place after making a big impression against Toulon last weekend and Sharks Academy prop Tye Raymont appears on the replacements bench in a Premiership game for the first time.
With last week’s front-row all away with England, veteran props McIntyre and John start either side of academy hooker Caine.
In the second-row Hyron Andrews keeps his place but this time he’ll start alongside van Rhyn with Jean-Luc du Preez switching from lock to the back-row to replace England call-up Tom Curry. With skipper Ben Curry also in England camp, Dugdale starts at openside with Dan du Preez at number 8.
Scrum-half Warr returns to the side, and he’ll be joined at half-back by skipper Rob du Preez, who celebrated 150 Sharks appearances last week against Toulon.
Ma’asi-White and Addison start in the centres, with Tom O’Flaherty and Reed on the wings and Joe Carpenter at full-back.
Tadgh McElroy and Sharks Academy props Tumy Onasanya and Raymont are the front-row replacements, with Jonny Hill and Ben Bamber making up the rest of the forwards on the bench.
Nye Thomas, Sam Bedlow and Alex Wills are the backs replacements.
Sale Sharks Starting XV:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. O’Flaherty, 13. Will Addison, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez ©, 9. Gus Warr, 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Ethan Caine, 3. WillGriff John, 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Jean-Luc du Preez, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. Tye Raymont, 19. Jonny Hill, 20. Ben Bamber, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Alex Wills, 23. Sam Bedlow.
Match stats:
- Rob du Preez is one of only two players to have played every single minute of every single match this season.
- Ernst Van Rhyn ranks second in the league with 14 dominant tackles. As a team, 5.9% of the Sharks’ tackles this season have been dominant (2nd).
- Luke Cowan-Dickie leads the league with 121 lineouts won. His 95.3% lineout success rate is the second highest in the league among players with 50 or more lineout throws.
