Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson believes George Ford is playing with a “bit between his teeth” and says the fly-half should be picked for the British and Irish Lions tour.
Sale recorded their first Gallagher Premiership win of 2025 with a 39-15 victory over Newcastle at Kingston Park.
England captain Maro Itoje will return to captain a Saracens side containing four of his international team-mates during the Guinness Six Nations when they host Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday.
England flanker Ben Curry will captain his Sale Sharks side against Newcastle Falcons on Friday in the Gallagher Premiership, six days after his player of the match performance against Wales in the Guinness Six Nations.
Newcastle Falcons, desperate to erase the memory of a winless Gallagher Premiership campaign last season, have suffered a triple injury blow in the build-up to their opening clash with Bristol Bears at Kingston Park on Friday night.
Newcastle have one match left to break their winless run or join Rotherham and London Welsh in Premiership history.
The Falcons are rooted to 10th and last place in the current Gallagher Premiership campaign, but the capture of Wilkinson is the club’s sixth signing ahead of what will be their first full campaign with Diamond at the helm following last January’s sacking of Alex Codling.
Newcastle Falcons have swiftly replaced outgoing flanker Guy Pepper with Sale Sharks flanker Cameron Neild.
Debutant Ben Healy inspired an Edinburgh comeback victory by kicking 17 points and creating their only try for captain Ben Vellacott in Saturday’s 22-17 United Rugby Championship opener at Dragons.