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Fit-again Manu Tuilagi at No12 as Sale and Northampton name teams
England powerhouse Manu Tuilagi will play his first rugby match in 16 weeks after Sale named him to start in their Gallagher Premiership opener at home to Northampton on Friday night. The appearance versus the Saints is his first run since the May 20 win at Wasps which was followed a fortnight later by the decision that he would undergo a knee operation rather than tour Australia with his country.
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A Sale statement read: “Manu Tuilagi is fit after knee surgery, Tom O’Flaherty makes his first league start and Josh Beaumont returns to the matchday squad for the first time in over a year as Alex Sanderson names his team for the opening Premiership clash of the 2022/23 season.
“Tuilagi lines up alongside Sam James in the centre as the Sale director of rugby opts for a mix of power and guile against Phil Dowson’s Saints. Despite the absence of England prop Bevan Rodd, Alex is able to call on a front row full of experience for the season opener with Si McIntyre and Nick Schonert lining up either side of hooker Akker van der Merwe.
“With Jonny Hill still unavailable following his exploits with England in the summer, Matt Postlethwaite gets his chance to stake a claim for a regular spot in the second row alongside Cobus Wiese. And in the back row, captain Ben Curry starts at openside flanker with a double helping of du Preez twins for company. Jean-Luc starts at blindside with twin Daniel at number 8.
“Raffi Quirke and new signing George Ford are still recovering from injury, so Gus Warr starts at scrum-half and Robert du Preez takes the No10 shirt. Outside them, Tuilagi returns alongside James, with new boy O’Flaherty and Tom Roebuck on the wings. Luke James starts at full-back.
“The replacements bench is an exciting mix of youth and experience. Front row cover comes from Tommy Taylor, Ross Harrison and Coenie Oosthuizen and they are joined by Jono Ross and fans’ favourite Beaumont. The backs are covered by new signing Joe Simpson, and academy graduates Tom Curtis and Arron Reed.”
Northampton’s team announcement statement read: “Director of rugby Phil Dowson has named his side for the Gallagher Premiership opener this weekend, with summer signings Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Angus Scott-Young set to make their full debuts at Sale.
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“Fraser Dingwall will lead out the visitors as captain and lines up in the midfield alongside Matt Proctor, with Courtnall Skosan (who scored eleven Premiership tries last term), Ollie Sleightholme, and Tom Collins named in the back three.
“James Grayson will look to control the game from fly-half, while Alex Mitchell starts in the No9 jersey having starred the last time Northampton met Sale – scoring a try and making 73 metres with two clean breaks and four defenders beaten.
“Up front, Salakaia-Loto makes his first competitive start for Saints in the engine room, with Alex Coles also packing down in the tight five behind an experienced front row of Alex Waller, Mike Haywood and Paul Hill.
“Scott-Young is named at blindside flanker in Northampton’s back row for his first taste of Premiership action, as Aaron Hinkley lines up on the other side of the scrum and Juarno Augustus (statistically the most destructive carrier of any forward in the Premiership, Top 14, URC and Super Rugby last season with a gain line success rate of 75 per cent) rounds off the line-up in the No8 jersey.
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“Amongst the replacements, there is room for England full-back George Furbank while there are more competitive Saints debuts in store for tighthead prop Alfie Petch and flanker Sam Graham if they enter the action from the bench.”
SALE SHARKS: 15. Luke James; 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Sam James, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. Tom O’Flaherty; 10. Robert du Preez, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Simon McIntyre, 2. Akker van der Merwe, 3. Nick Schonert, 4. Cobus Wiese, 5. Matt Postlethwaite, 6. Jean-Luc du Preez, 7. Ben Curry (capt), 8. Daniel du Preez. Reps: 16. Tommy Taylor, 17. Ross Harrison, 18. Coenie Oosthuizen, 19, Josh Beaumont, 20. Jono Ross, 21. Joe Simpson, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Arron Reed.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: 15. Tom Collins; 14. Ollie Sleightholme, 13. Matt Proctor, 12. Fraser Dingwall (capt), 11. Courtnall Skosan; 10. James Grayson, 9. Alex Mitchell; 1. Alex Waller, 2. Mike Haywood, 3. Paul Hill, 4. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 5. Alex Coles, 6. Angus Scott-Young, 7. Aaron Hinkley, 8. Juarno Augustus. Reps: 16. Sam Matavesi, 17. Emmanuel Iyogun, 18. Alfie Petch, 19. Alex Moon, 20. Sam Graham, 21. Tom James, 22. Tom Litchfield, 23. George Furbank.
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments