Sale Sharks v Harlequins: Aviva Premiership preview
Last Updated: 24/04/15 4:23pm
Sale Sharks face Harlequins at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday looking to keep their faint top six hopes alive.
Steve Diamond makes five changes to the side narrowly beaten at Leicester last time out. Tom Brady replaces Tom Arscott on the wing while there are four changes to the pack.
Eifion Lewis Roberts and Marc Jones come into the front row while Magnus Lund and TJ Ioane return in the back row with Josh Beaumont switching from No 8 to lock.
The visitors make just one change to the side that beat Gloucester before last weekend’s break for European competition.
Fit-again George Lowe comes in at outside centre with Aseli Tikoirotuma the man to miss out.
With Quins buoyed by the return of their England stars Diamond is expecting a tough encounter as Sale look to overhaul the five points gap to sixth-placed Wasps with three games to play.
“We're in that position where we know we've got to win all of our games,” he said. “They've got their England players back and it's going to be a very difficult game for us."
Sale Sharks: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Chris Cusiter; 1 Eifion Lewis Roberts, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 4 Josh Beaumont, 5 Andrei Ostrikov, 6 Dan Braid (c), 7 Magnus Lund, 8 TJ Ioane.
Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Ciaran Parker, 19 Jonathan Mills, 20 David Seymour, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Tom Arscott.
Harlequins: 15 Ollie Lindsay-Hague, 14 Marland Yarde, 13 George Lowe, 12 Harry Sloan, 11 Charlie Walker, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care; 1 Joe Marler (c), 2 Dave Ward, 3 Matt Shields, 4 Nick Easter, 5 George Robson, 6 Luke Wallace, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Jack Clifford.
Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Darryl Marfo, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Netani Talei, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Ugo Monye.
