Team news: Sale Sharks v Leinster Rugby

Ernst van Rhyn, Sam Bedlow, Arron Reed and Rob du Preez return, Raffi Quirke starts and summer signing Telusa Veainu makes his Sharks Investec Champions Cup debut as Alex Sanderson shuffles the pack again for the trip to the RDS Arena to face Leinster on Saturday (KO 5.30pm, LIVE on TNT Sports). 

Fresh from his player of the match display against Stade Francais, Sam Dugdale starts again in the pack, while Jean-Luc du Preez returns after a hamstring injury to take his place on the replacements bench alongside man of the moment Asher Opoku-Fordjour. 

Sharks veteran Ross Harrison will start at loosehead against the Irish giants, who narrowly lost to La Rochelle in last year’s Champions Cup final, with Tommy Taylor at hooker and tighthead James Harper completing the front row. 

After making his first Champions Cup start against Stade last week, Ben Bamber is picked in the second-row again and this time he’ll have Josh Beaumont for company. 

The Premiership’s top tackler Van Rhyn starts in the number six shirt, meaning Dugdale switches to openside, while Rouban Birch comes in for the injured Dan du Preez at number 8. 

England scrum-half Quirke starts in the half-backs alongside captain Rob du Preez, while Connor Doherty is picked at outside centre alongside Premiership ever-present Sam Bedlow. 

In the back three, former Stade Francais and Leicester man Veainu starts at full-back with Sharks top scorer Arron Reed and Tom Roebuck on the wings. 

Ethan Caine is the back-up hooker while Tumy Onasanya and Opoku-Fordjour are the replacement props. Jonny Hill and JL du Preez make up the rest of the forwards on the bench with Nye Thomas, Tom Curtis and Joe Carpenter offering energy as the replacement backs. 

Sale Sharks Starting XV:   

15. Telusa Veainu , 14. Tom Roebuck, 13. Connor Doherty, 12. Sam Bedlow, 11. Arron Reed, 10. Rob du Preez, 9. Raffi Quirke 1. Ross Harrison, 2. Tommy Taylor, 3. James Harper, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Josh Beaumont, 6. Ernst van Rhyn, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Rouban Birch.   

Replacements:   

16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19. Jonny Hill, 20. JL du Preez, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Tom Curtis, 23. Joe Carpenter.