Premiership
Gloucester Rugby side for final Heineken Champions Cup pool game named
Gloucester Rugby Head Coach, George Skivington, has named his side for tomorrow’s crucial European encounter against Bordeaux in France.
There are six changes to the starting XV that were beaten by former Heineken Cup champions Leinster at Kingsholm last weekend, as the Cherry & Whites chase a last 16 place.
Val Rapava-Ruskin, George McGuigan and Kirill Gotovtsev, who put Leinster’s all-international front-row to the test last weekend, start in an unchanged front-row.
Cam Jordan replaces Freddie Clarke in the second-row, with Clarke dropping to the bench. Jordan packs down alongside Argentine Matias Alemanno.
Albert Tuisue, who was Heineken Star of the Match when the two sides met before Christmas, comes back into the back-row. He starts at number 8, with Jack Clement and captain Lewis Ludlow on the flanks. Tuisue & Clement come in for Ben Morgan and Ruan Ackermann who both picked up knocks in the Leinster game.
Stephen Varney who scored the Cherry & Whites opening try against Bordeaux last month starts at scrum-half, and club stalwart Billy Twelvetrees comes in at fly-half replacing Santi Carreras who misses out through injury.
As the final change, Georgian international Giorgi Kveseladze comes in at outside centre to partner Seb Atkinson who wears the 12 shirt once more. Ollie Thorley, Jonny May and George Barton start in an unchanged back-three to last weekend.
On the bench, there is a welcome return for prop Jamal Ford Robinson after injury. He joins Seb Blake, Harry Elrington, Freddie Clarke, Freddie Thomas, Charlie Chapman, Jack Reeves and Lloyd Evans.
Starting XV
15. George Barton*
14. Jonny May*
13. Giorgi Kveseladze
12. Seb Atkinson*
11. Ollie Thorley*
10. Billy Twelvetrees
9. Stephen Varney*
1. Val Rapava-Ruskin
2. George McGuigan
3. Kirill Gotovtsev
4. Cam Jordan*
5. Matias Alemanno
6. Jack Clement*
7. Lewis Ludlow* (c)
8. Albert Tuisue
Replacements
16. Seb Blake*
17. Harry Elrington
18. Jamal Ford-Robinson
19. Freddie Clarke*
20. Freddie Thomas*
21. Charlie Chapman*
22. Jack Reeves*
23. Lloyd Evans*
*Denotes academy player or graduate.
Injury update
Following Gloucester Rugby’s injury update earlier this month, Gloucester Rugby can confirm that Ben Morgan, Ruan Ackermann, and Santi Carreras all miss out through injury this weekend resulting in the following unavailable list:
Mark Atkinson, Santi Socino, Alex Craig, Louis Rees-Zammit, Adam Hastings, Jordy Reid, Fraser Balmain, Jack Singleton, Mayco Vivas, Ruan Ackermann, Ben Morgan, Santi Carreras.
Premiership
INJURY UPDATE | George Ford
Sale Sharks can confirm that fly-half George Ford suffered a tear to his right quad during the early stages of the Gallagher Premiership round two game at Saracens on Saturday. Following a positive consultation with a specialist it was decided that George does not require surgery and he will now begin his rehab ahead of a busy period for club and country.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
Premiership
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Gloucester
Alex Sanderson has made six changes to his starting XV to face Gloucester Rugby in the first game of the season under the Salford Stadium Friday night lights, while summer signing Le Roux Roets appears in a matchday squad for the first time (Discovery+, 7.45pm KO).
Josh Beaumont, Ernst van Rhyn and Rouban Birch come into the pack following the round two defeat at Saracens, while Sam Bedlow, Will Addison and Arron Reed are picked in the backs to face George Skivington’s men.
In total, 12 of the XV and 19 in the matchday 23 have come through or spent time in the Sharks Academy.
The Sharks front-row remains intact from the trip to the StoneX as England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up once again between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and loosehead Si McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Ben Bamber teams up with Josh Beaumont.
With Ben and Tom Curry as well as JL du Preez all missing as they undergo their return to play protocols following head injuries, Ernst van Rhyn returns alongside fellow flanker Sam Dugdale and Birch at number 8.
Gus Warr starts again at scrum-half but with George Ford injured (quad) he’ll have skipper Rob du Preez for company at half-back. After coming on as a replacement against Saracens, Bedlow starts alongside Addison, who makes his first start since re-joining the club in the summer.
Speedster Arron Reed makes his first appearance of the season alongside Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter.
Hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper cover the front row from the replacements bench with England U20s lock Tom Burrow and summer signing Le Roux Roets covering the rest of the forwards. Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Waisea Nayacalevu cover the backs.
Sale Sharks starting 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.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
Premiership
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Saracens
Injuries have forced Alex Sanderson to make three changes to his starting XV to face Saracens at the StoneX on Saturday (3.05pm KO, Saturday 28th September, live on TNT Sports).
Si McIntyre replaces last week’s Player of the Match Bevan Rodd (hamstring), while Ben Bamber and Sam Dugdale come in for Ernst van Rhyn and Tom Curry who are both undergoing their return to play protocols after leaving the field during the round one win over Harlequins.
With Sam Bedlow returning to the bench to make a 5-3 split, the matchday squad features 16 players who have come through or been involved with the Sale Sharks Academy.
In the front-row, England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie lines up between 20-year-old Asher Opoku-Fordjour and returning loosehead McIntyre.
Al has picked a towering second-row as Bamber teams up with Hyron Andrews.
Openside flanker Ben Curry captains the side again and he and Dugdale will pack down either side of Jean-Luc du Preez at number 8.
The backs are unchanged from the narrow win over Quins, with Gus Warr starting again at scrum-half alongside fly-half George Ford, and Rob du Preez and Waisea Nayacalevu outside them in the centres.
Alex has picked a familiar back three once again with Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and full-back Joe Carpenter hoping to provide the spark.
The replacements bench is an exclusively Sharks Academy affair with hooker Ethan Caine, and props Tumy Onasanya and James Harper covering the front row. Josh Beaumont and Rouban Birch make up the rest of the forwards, while Nye Thomas, Bedlow and Will Addison cover the backs.
Sale Sharks Starting lineup:
15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Waisea Nayacalevu, 12. Rob du Preez, 11. Tom O’Flaherty, 10. George Ford, 9. Gus Warr; 1. Si McIntyre, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Sam Dugdale, 7. Ben Curry ©, 8. Jean-Luc du Preez.
Replacements:
16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. James Harper, 19. Josh Beaumont, 20. Rouban Birch, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Will Addison.
Images & Content from Sale Sharks Rugby
-
URC1 week ago
Ulster ready to take on Vodacom Bulls in Pretoria
-
Premiership1 week ago
TEAM NEWS | Sale Sharks v Gloucester
-
6 Nations1 week ago
‘Everyone Showed Up Really Well’ – Easterby On Emerging Ireland’s Tour Opener
-
Premiership1 week ago
INJURY UPDATE | George Ford
-
British & Irish Lions6 days ago
British & Irish Lions announce landmark player profit share agreement for 2025 Tour
-
URC5 days ago
Squad Update | Munster Prepare For Leinster At Croke Park
-
6 Nations6 days ago
Emerging Ireland Squad Update As Three Players Return To Provincial Action
-
6 Nations5 days ago
Emerging Ireland Team For Final Tour Clash Against The Cheetahs Named