Harlequins Face Sale Sharks: Team News and Updates
Sale Sharks coach Alex Sanderson has made four changes to his matchday squad for the trip to The Stoop. The fixture is an Investec Champions Cup last-16 tie with kick-off at 8pm. It will be shown live on Premier Sports.
Key returnees and absences
England prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour returns to the Sharks XV after recovering from a shoulder injury. He slots into the tighthead role alongside Bevan Rodd and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Dan du Preez and Scotland international Gus Warr come back into the starting side. Rob du Preez and Raffi Quirke miss out due to injury.
Pack and leadership
Ernst van Rhyn will captain the side from the second row. He pairs again with Ben Bamber. The back row features Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale and Dan du Preez.
Backline configuration
Gus Warr starts at scrum-half with George Ford at fly-half. Marius Louw takes the 13 shirt, with Rekeiti Ma’asi-White at 12.
The back three is Tom Roebuck on the right wing, Tom O’Flaherty and full-back Joe Carpenter. Harlequins arrive at The Stoop after a morale-boosting win over Bristol last weekend.
Matchday squad
Filmogaz.com reports the full starting XV and replacements named by Sanderson. The selection balances experience and returning players.
- Starting XV: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Marius Louw, 12 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 George Ford, 9 Gus Warr; 1 Bevan Rodd, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (c), 5 Ben Bamber, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 7 Sam Dugdale, 8 Dan du Preez.
- Replacements: 16 Nathan Jibulu, 17 Si McIntyre, 18 James Harper, 19 Reuben Logan, 20 Jos Gilmore, 21 Dom Hanson, 22 Ollie Davies, 23 Alex Wills.
Context and outlook
Sanderson has named a side with strong set-piece options and bench depth. The tie at The Stoop promises to be a stern test against Harlequins.
For readers tracking Harlequins Face Sale Sharks: Team News and Updates, check Filmogaz.com for pre-match analysis and late developments.
