Match Preview: Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks

Gloucester Rugby will look to take their European form on to the domestic stage as they welcome Sale Sharks on Sunday.

George Skivington's side have won back-to-back Challenge Cup clashes and will be looking to restore some home comforts, having won just one of their last eight Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches at Kingsholm.

Sale Sharks have lost their last four in all competitions and remain in search of a first win of 2024. They welcome back Ernst van Rhyn, Dan du Preez, Si McIntyre and Cobus Wiese from injury this weekend.

TV: Live on TNT Sports, kick-off 3pm

Referee: Luke Pearce

Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley and Greg Macdonald

TMO: Stuart Terheege

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Santi Carreras, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Caolan Englefield, 1 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 2 George McGuigan, 3 Kirill Gotovtsev, 4 Freddie Clarke, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Ruan Ackermann 7 Lewis Ludlow (C), 8 Zach Mercer

Replacements: 16 Seb Blake, 17 Harry Elrington, 18 Ciaran Knight, 19 Albert Tuisue, 20 Jack Clement, 21 Stephen Varney, 22 Max Llewellyn, 23 Josh Hathaway

Sale Sharks: 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Telusa Veainu, 13 Sam James, 12 Sam Bedlow, 11 Arron Reed, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Gus Warr, 1 Si McIntyre, 2 Agustin Creevy, 3 James Harper, 4 Cobus Wiese, 5 Josh Beaumont, 6 Ernst van Rhyn, 7 Sam Dugdale, 8 Dan du Preez. 

Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Tumy Onasanya, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Ben Bamber, 20 Rouban Birch, 21 Nye Thomas, 22 Tom Curtis, 23 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White.

Oval Insights

Gloucester Rugby

• Ollie Thorley beat the joint-most defenders in Round 11, a total of seven. He also made two clean breaks and 70 metres.
• Gloucester have the highest rate of carry dominance in the Premiership (28.7%).
• Jack Clement has made the fourth-most dominant carries (35) and won the fourth-most turnovers (nine) in the Premiership.
• Stephen Varney has assisted the joint-most tries so far this season (six) and made the third-most kick in play metres (2,946).

Sale Sharks

• Ernst van Rhyn has made more tackles (174) and more dominant tackles (16) than any other player this season.
• Gus Warr has made the most contestable kicks (48) and the most retained kicks (21) in the league.
• Rob du Preez has assisted more breaks than any other player in the Premiership (14): 12 with passes, two with kicks.
• Sale Sharks have the poorest rate of scrum success in the league (79.5%) but have won the second-most penalties (29).