European Champions Cup Pool 3 preview: Sale Sharks v Toulon
Venue: AJ Bell stadium
Kick-off: 7.45,
Television: Live on BT Sport 2
It’ll be a tough night for Peter Stringer. His heart, if not his mind, will be in Killaloe as his former Munster and Ireland team-mate and friend, Anthony Foley, is laid to rest.
The evergreen scrumhalf returns following a bicep injury and he couldn’t pick a tougher challenge than the three-time champions Toulon. Stringer is one of five changes to the team that lost 28-11 in last weekend’s opening Champions Cup fixture against the Scarlets in Wales. It was rather an insipid performance from the Manchester club.
Centre Mark Jennings and flanker Magnus Lund play their first matches of the season, while Sam James comes in at outhalf – AJ MacGinty is injured and Andrei Ostrikov replaces Jonathan Mills in the secondrow.
Sale centre Will Addison is Irish-qualified through a parent. He is a former England under-20 international and quite a tidy player.
“In football terms, it’s a bit like Barcelona coming to town, because Toulon are the biggest club in world rugby,” the Sharks coach Steve Diamond said.
“The players have got a gameplan to put in place and if they get that right and put in a really good performance, then perhaps we’ll get the win. By virtue of us not losing many games over the last four years at home, it makes it a difficult place for sides to come to.
Pressure
“Toulon were beaten last week, taking no points, so the pressure is on them really.
“We’ve just got to do what we do well and perform at the highest level we can and if we do that we’ve got a chance.”
The French club did indeed lose last weekend, beaten by the current European and English champions Saracens at the Stade Felix Mayol.
Toulon coach Diego Dominguez has made five changes to that team. Wallaby international James O’Connor comes in for Josua Tuisova, while Mathieu Bastareaud is preferred to Matt Carraro at outside centre.
Eric Escande replaces Sebastien Tillous-Borde at scrumhalf, Romain Taofifénua adds bulk to the secondrow and Xavier Chiocci ballast to the scrum.
The portents don’t offer much hope to Sale. Toulon inflicted a 62-0 drubbing on their hosts a few seasons ago and the Sharks have lost their last four home matches against French opposition.
Indeed the Sharks have lost their last 12 European matches by an average of 21 points and their prospects of improving on that record seem miniscule. Toulon have selected a huge pack and also possess real firepower in the backline.
Throw in the place-kicking prowess of Lions and Wales fullback Leigh Halfpenny and there doesn’t appear any respite for the home side.
The French club need a bonus-point victory to get their challenge back on track and that’s what they should achieve.
SALE SHARKS: M Haley; B McGuigan, W Addison, M Jennings, P Odogwu; S James, P Stringer; R Harrison, N Briggs, B Mujati; B Evans, A Ostrikov; C Neild, M Lund, J Beaumont (capt). Replacements: E Lewis-Roberts, H Aulika, J Mills, D Seymour, T Curry, J Mitchell, D Mugford, S Bedlow.
TOULON: L Halfpenny; J O'Connor, M Bastareaud, M Nonu, B Habana; F Trinh-Duc, E Escande; X Chiocci, G Guirado, L Chilachava; M Gorgodze, R Taofifenua; C Ollivon, J Fernandez Lobbe, D Vermeulen (capt). Replacements: A Etrillard, L Delboulbès, M Van Der Merwe, S Manoa, M Carraro, P Bernard, S Tillous-Borde, J Suta.
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)
