Sale Sharks begin new Gallagher Premiership season at home to Bath Rugby

Sale Sharks kick-start their Gallagher Premiership campaign against Bath Rugby at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday evening.

After achieving their best league finish in over a decade, the Sharks head into the new season with plenty of belief and optimism they can once again reach the top four, and that this time go all the way.

After taking over in January, following the sudden departure of Steve Diamond, Alex Sanderson won 13 of his 19 matches in charge which was crucial in Sharks’ third-place finish.

Sanderson will be aiming to start his first full season in charge with a victory, but the task ahead won’t be simple with Stuart Hooper bringing a Bath side looking to make up for a disappointing last campaign.

Anticipation was high ahead of the 2021/22 season for Bath after their impressive play-off finish, however, they were unable to fulfil their league expectations and their European ones were seconds away from being crushed.

A last gasp try gave Bath a bonus-point win over Northampton Saints on the final day, meaning they leapfrogged Wasps RFC to secure their place in the Heineken Champions Cup courtesy of a Leicester Tigers win at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Sale have named a mix of experience and youth in their 23-man squad which includes two of their three new signings. Nick Schonert, who signed after leaving Worcester Warriors starts at tighthead, with former Sale Sharks Academy graduate Tommy Taylor returning amongst the substitutes.

Sharks also name eye-catching centre duo of Manu Tuilagi and Sam James in the starting line-up, alongside 19-year-old Raffi Quirke, who will start for only a second time in the absence of Faf de Klerk who is still away on international duty with South Africa.

For Bath, Hooper has named two debutants in his starting line-up. Front-rower Johannes Jonker, who signed from Championship side Ealing Trailfinders wears the number three shirt, whilst Danny Cipriani returns to rugby to face his former employees at fly-half.

Cipriani scored 590 points in 76 appearances for Sale across a four-year spell and the 2019 Premiership Player of the Year will be guaranteed a warm reception from all supporters in his first outing back.

Bath are without British and Irish Lions duo Anthony Watson and Taulupe Faletau as the pair returned to the club on Monday and they will now start their build-up towards being ready to play following a five-week break.

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Joe Cokanasiga is also missing for the visitors due to a knee injury sustained in last weekend’s pre-season loss at Cardiff Rugby. Hooper confirmed the winger is currently in a brace and that the club are waiting to find out the full extent of the injury.

Leaving the AJ Bell with a win became an impossible task for seven Premiership sides in the final months of last season. Sharks finished the campaign in fantastic form on home soil, which included wins against Bristol Bears, Exeter Chiefs and Champions Harlequins.

However for Bath, winning in Salford was a task they successfully completed. They are the last league side to defeat the Sharks at home and they did so by claiming an impressive 27-22 victory last February.

Not only is it the return of a new Premiership season on Saturday, but it is also is the return of full-capacity crowds at the AJ Bell for the first time since March 2020.

Sharks won both of their matches in front of a restricted crowd towards the end of last season, and they will be hoping to make it eight home league wins in a row tomorrow on their return to action.

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