Sam Dugdale starts for Ford-less Sale after being cleared for red card

Flanker Sam Dugdale will start for Sale Sharks on Friday night against Gloucester after being cleared for the red card he received in the Gallagher Premiership loss to Saracens.

The 25-year-old was yellow carded by referee Anthony Woodthorpe in the first half at the Stone X Stadium for a high tackle on Ben Earl, and received his second yellow in the dying seconds of the match for an infringement at a ruck, resulting in a red card.

However, after a hearing on Wednesday, the RFU confirmed that the flanker is clear to play, with the red card being deemed sufficient punishment.

The verdict from the hearing said: "The player did not seek to challenge the foul play yellow card (no challenge can be brought against a technical yellow card). As such, the charge was accepted.

"The player has a clear disciplinary record and would ordinarily be entitled to mitigation from the entry point however in this instance, the entry point is sending off sufficient and no reduction can therefore be applied.

"The sanction remains sending off sufficient."

Dugdale will therefore start against Gloucester at the Salford Community Stadium, although he has shifted to the openside this week as opposed to the blindside against Saracens.

The key change in the Sale team sees Rob du Preez start at fly-half in place of the injured George Ford, who tore his quad in the opening minutes against Saracens. 

Sale Sharks XV

15. Joe Carpenter

14. Tom Roebuck

13. Will Addison

12. Sam Bedlow

11. Arron Reed

10. Rob du Preez

9. Gus Warr

1. Si McIntyre

2. Luke Cowan-Dickie

3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour

4. Ben Bamber

5. Josh Beaumont

6. Ernst van Rhyn

7. Sam Dugdale

8. Rouban Birch

Replacements

16. Ethan Caine

17. Tumy Onasanya

18. James Harper

19. Tom Burrow

20. Le Roux Roets

21. Nye Thomas

22. Tom Curtis

23. Waisea Nayacalevu