Sale Sharks circle Racing 92 at Paris La Defense Arena

Sale travel to the Paris La Defense Arena with the tough assignment of facing off against Top 14 giants, Racing 92. 

Sale put in an energetic shift against Bristol in the previous round to topple Bristol Bears, thus avenging the defeat they suffered the week before at the AJ Bell. 

Racing powered past Stade Francais, the final whistle sounding with the former 11-points ahead: 

This from Sale flyhalf, AJ MacGinty:  

“I know the lads pretty well and the type of people they are – they will relish that occasion and the underdog mentality. So, it is really about how we perform as a team – meaning we can’t play as individuals.” 

Key facts: 

• Racing have won two of their previous five knockout stage games against English opposition (L3), while Sale have lost both of their previous knockout ties against French opposition. 
• This will be Racing’s fifth consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup and their seventh overall. They have won three and lost three of their previous six ties at this stage. However, they won just one of the three which took place at home. 
• Racing have won their last six games at home against Premiership opposition in the Heineken Champions Cup, although three of their wins during that period came by margins of 10 points or fewer. 
• Sale have lost each of their last 10 Heineken Champions Cup away games on French soil, a run which includes their record defeat in the competition (0-62 v RC Toulon in December 2012). 
• Of the teams remaining in the Heineken Champions Cup, no side have averaged more possession this season than Racing (54%), while only Montpellier Hérault Rugby have had less possession than Sale (46%). 
• Racing made the joint most line breaks of any team in the Round of 16 second-leg fixtures (10). Their 6.8 clean breaks per game is the third highest average of any club this season. 
• No side in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup have completed more dominant tackles than Sale (45). However, their 84% tackle success rate is the lowest of any side remaining in the competition. 
• Among players from teams still remaining in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup, only George Ford (60) has made more kicks from open play than Racing’s Finn Russell (50). Russell has also made eight passes that have led directly to a line break in the competition this season, two more than any other player. 
• Sale’s Lood de Jager has claimed the joint most lineouts in this season’s Heineken Champions Cup (36). De Jager also ranks joint-third for lineout steals this term (3).