Alex Sanderson makes five changes to Sale team

England stars George Ford, Bevan Rodd and Joe Carpenter return to the Sharks line-up as Alex Sanderson makes five changes to his team for the Boxing Day Christmas cracker against Harlequins (live on TNT Sports, KO 5.30pm).

James Harper and Hyron Andrews also come back into the XV to bolster a pack that features Tom Curry at number 8. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and Sam Dugdale are back on a strong Sharks bench after injury.

England loosehead Rodd will start in the front row after recovering from an ankle injury and he’ll have hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and tighthead James Harper for company.

In the second-row, Andrews returns to shore up a lineout that struggled in the defeat against Northampton on Saturday. He’ll start alongside Ben Bamber.

Alex has picked an unchanged back-row, with skipper Ernst van Rhyn lining up at openside again, with Jacques Vermeulen at blindside flanker and Curry at number 8.

At half-back Raffi Quirke starts again but he’ll have Ford alongside him after the England fly-half recovered from injury.

Marius Louw will start again at 12 with Rob du Preez switching back to his familiar outside centre slot. And in the back three, Alex Wills starts on the left wing with Tom O’Flaherty once again on the right and the returning Carpenter at full-back.

Former Harlequin Nathan Jibulu is the replacement hooker and he’s joined on the bench by props Si McIntyre and WillGriff John. Tom Burrow and Sam Dugdale are the other forwards in reserve.

Gus Warr, Ma’asi-White and Gurshwin Wehr are the backs on the bench.

Starting XV:

15. Joe Carpenter, 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Marius Louw, 11. Alex Wills, 10. George Ford, 9. Raffi Quirke; 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. James Harper, 4. Ben Bamber, 5. Hyron Andrews, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Ernst van Rhyn ©, 8. Tom Curry.

Replacements:

16. Nathan Jibulu, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Tom Burrow, 20. Sam Dugdale, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 23. Gurshwin Wehr.