Wasps Travel To Sale Still In Search Of First Win

London Wasps, who are still without a win in this year's Aviva Premiership, make the long trip up North on Friday night to face Sale Sharks at the AJ Bell Stadium.

It was announced today (Thursday) that Sale will make a number of changes from the side that lost narrowly last week to Newcastle Falcons.

Director of Rugby, Steve Diamond, has promoted young prop Ross Harrison, hooker Tommy Taylor, lock Kirill Kulemin and Fullback Rob Miller from the bench, in place of Eifion Lewis Roberts, Marc Jones, Jonathon Mills and Phil Mackenzie.

For the first time this season Danny Cipriani is named in the match-day squad as one of the replacements, to face his first Premiership club.

Sale, who secured an impressive opening week win away at Gloucester, will be looking to hit back hard this week after a disappointing loss to Newcastle last Friday.

The Sharks lost their first game after the former City of Manchester Stadium was renamed to the AJ Bell stadium on Friday.

However, it is Wasps who travel to Manchester with a mountain of pressure on them having lost their last 10 games in all competitions.

In the Premiership’s opening weekend Wasps lost by the narrowest of margins to Harlequins, with a final score 16-15. It was heartbreak for yellow and black men as Andy Goode’s penalty in the final minutes of the game ricocheted back off the inside of the uprights to deny the club a victory.

Last week Wasps lost on the road to Exeter Chiefs in a fiercely competitive encounter by 30 points to 26.
Steve Diamond and his men will take confidence, however, from the fact that Wasps have not won at Sale since back in 2005.

Also, the Sharks have been really impressive defensively, conceding just one try so far, and at the set piece; where the Sharks have won 93% of their own ball at the scrum and stolen six lineouts against the head.

An interesting clash to watch out for on Friday night will be the battle between wingers mark Cueto and Christian Wade. With both players at opposite ends of their respective careers, it will be interesting to see if Cueto can show Wade that he still has plenty to learn.

Sale Sharks Team: Tom Arscott, Rob Miller, Mark Cueto, Andy Forsyth, Tom Brady, Nick Macleod, Dwayne Peel, Ross Harrison, Tommy Taylor, Henry Thomas, Kirill Kulemin, Michael Paterson, Dan Braid Captain, David Seymour, James Gaskell

Replacements: Marc Jones, Eifion Lewis Roberts, Vadim Cobilas, Johnathan Mills, Josh Beaumont, Will Cliff, Danny Cipriani, Phil Mackenzie

London Wasps Team: Andrea Masi, Christian Wade, Ben Jacobs, Chris Bell (C), Josh Bassett, Andy Goode, Charlie Davies, Matt Mullan, Carlo Festuccia, Jake Cooper-Wooley, Joe Launchbury, Kearnan Myall, Ashley Johnson, Sam Jones, Ed Jackson

Replacements: Tom Lindsay, Simon McIntyre, Will Taylor, James Cannon, Nathan Hughes, Joe Simpson, Joe Carlisle, Tommy Bell