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Recap - Saracens vs Sale Sharks LIVE | Gallagher Premiership
By RugbyPass
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Gallagher Premiership match between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Allianz Park.
Keep up to date with the latest score, stats and join the conversation from anywhere in the world in our Live Match Centre (click here).
A mixture of youth and experience will take to the field for Saracens. Nineteen-year-old Manu Vunipola returns from England under-20s duty to take his place at fly-half meaning a switch back to full-back for Alex Goode – his first appearance in the 15 jersey since last season’s Gallagher Premiership final.
Speedsters Rotimi Segun and Alex Lewington are named on the wings while captain Brad Barritt and Alex Lozowski make up the midfield.
Tom Whiteley comes in at scrum-half for his first start of the league season and will be behind a pack with four changes from the trip to Sale in the Premiership Rugby Cup last time out.
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Back from international duty with Wales, Rhys Carre takes his place at loosehead and South Africa international Vincent Koch is reinstated at tighthead. Hooker Tom Woolstencroft remains in the front row.
Calum Clark and Jackson Wray are back at openside flanker and No8 respectively, joining Nick Isiekwe in the back row and locks Joel Kpoku and Callum Hunter-Hill continue their partnership for the third match in a row.
Meanwhile, Ben Curry will enter the record books this weekend as the 21-year-old becomes the youngest player to make 100 appearances for Sale.
Steve Diamond makes two personnel changes to the Sharks’ matchday-23 he named to face Saracens just eight days ago in the Premiership Cup semi-final, Chris Ashton and Byron McGuigan returning to the back three.
After announcing his retirement plans this week, Rob Webber will make his final trip to Allianz Park as a player and after returning from Wales’ Six Nations camp, Will-Griff John moves back into the starting line up alongside Ross Harrison as the Sharks continue to consistently rotate their front row options throughout the season.
The rest of the forwards remain unchanged for the trip to Allianz Park. Bryn Evans and Jean-Luc du Preez start in the lock, with the formidable partnership of Jono Ross, Curry and last week’s man of the match Daniel du Preez making up the back row.
Will Cliff continues to demonstrate his electric form at scrum half and partners up with Rob du Preez in the half-back roles.
Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Sam James keep their spots in the midfield while there is a back three of Ashton, McGuigan and Simon Hammersley outside them.
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Latest Comments
My ‘fantasy’ team V Ireland,
Including options from ABXV if needed, as V Mun better V Ireland better prep than England.
The most important aspect V Ireland is AB need ALL their loosies AND 'loosie capable locks' on ALL match [except IF(?) any tiring ie the aging & slowing eg Cane]. As follows,
{starting} bench (3rd choice)
1 {De Groot} / Tu’ungafasi (Williams)
2 { anyone that can throw!! }/ Aumua (Brodie McAlister)
Ryan! coach lineouts & Aumua to throw!
3 {Lomax}/ Tosi (Newell )
Tosi immense strength V England
4,5 Locks { P.Tuipulotu, S.Barrett }, Vaa’i, Darry
( Isaia Walker-Leawere)
Vaa’i off V Eng. Assumed due to leg injury(?)
6,7,8 Loose forwards { Sititi, A.Savea, Cane } Vaa’i, S.Barrettm, P.Tuipulotu back up (Devan Flanders, Du'Plessis Kirifi )
9 {Roigard } Ratima ( TJ )
10 {D.McK} Perofeta ( Plummer)
12 {J.Barrett } ALB ( Q.Tupaea )
13 {Proctor} Ioane ( AJ Lam )
Ioane (off V England ) but Irish experience (NO not Sexton!)
14 { Tele’a} Reece (bkup W.Jordan )
11 {C.Clarke} Narawa (K.Naholo)
15 {W.Jordan} Love (Stevenson)
Go to commentsI guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
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