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Wilson set to make his first Sale start, Leicester give debut to promising half-back

By Online Editors
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Mark Wilson is set to make his first Sale Sharks start after Steve Diamond made four changes to his starting line-up for Friday night’s Gallagher Premiership clash with Leicester Tigers.

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After picking up an injury at the World Cup in Japan that required surgery following the tournament, the England back row came off the bench in recent weeks against Saracens in both the Premiership Cup and in the Premiership. 

He now takes Ben Curry’s place in the starting line-up and packs down alongside Daniel du Preez and Jono Ross, ending a four-month wait to make the starting side following his season-long loan switch from Newcastle.

Diamond said: “Leicester are a tough opposition and despite their rocky start to the season, they are a team with huge pedigree and should always be respected. 

“After a good win at Welford Road last time out, the Tigers will be heading north full of confidence, so we need to make sure we are really on the ball tonight and nullify their threats effectively.”

(Continue reading below…)

Brian O’Driscoll hits back at England boss Eddie Jones

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Leicester, meanwhile, have handed Dan Cole the captaincy in the absence of the suspended Tom Youngs, who received a four-week ban for foul play in last weekend’s win over Wasps. 

Tatafu Polota-Nau replaces Youngs at hooker, and there are places for Tommy Reffell and Ifereimi Boladau in the forward pack with Jordan Taufua and Sione Kalamafoni ruled out by injury this week.

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Tigers also recall Noel Reid and Jordan Olowofela to the backline and given a Premiership debut to academy graduate and England under-20s cap Jack van Poortvliet.

Coach Geordan Murphy said: “We have to scrap for everything – we did that well last weekend. It was a gnarly performance against Wasps in tricky conditions and we were pleased by that.

“We’ve got five players away (on Test duty), we’ve got a few ruled out by injury this week, but it’s a competitive group and players have been putting up their hands in training every week which is just the way it should be.”

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SALE SHARKS: 15. Simon Hammersley; 14. Chris Ashton, 13. Sam James, 12. Luke James, 11. Marland Yarde; 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Will Cliff; 1. Coenie Oosthuizen, 2. Rob Webber, 3. Jake Cooper-Woolley, 4. Bryn Evans, 5. Jean-Luc du Preez, 6. Jono Ross (capt) 7. Mark Wilson, 8. Daniel du Preez. Reps: 16. Curtis Langdon, 17. Ross Harrison, 18. Will-Griff John, 19. James Phillips, 20. Ben Curry, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Denny Solomona.

LEICESTER TIGERS: 15. Telusa Veainu; 14. Jonah Holmes, 13. Jaco Taute, 12. Kyle Eastmond, 11. Jordan Olowofela; 10. Noel Reid, 9. Jack van Poortvliet; 1. Greg Bateman, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3. Dan Cole (capt), 4. Tomas Lavanini, 5. Will Spencer, 6. Hanro Liebenberg, 7. Tommy Reffell, 8. Ifereimi Boladau. Reps: 16. Jake Kerr, 17. Nephi Leatigaga, 18. Joe Heyes, 19. Joe Batley, 20. Harry Wells, 21. Sam Lewis, 22. Harry Simmons, 23. Johnny McPhillips.

WATCH: RugbyPass went behind the scenes at Leicester to see how they develop players such as Jack van Poortvliet

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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