Preview: Sale v Leicester
September 03 2009
Leicester begin the title defence in the Guinness Premiership's opening fixture of the season against Sale Sharks at Edgeley Park on Friday.
Centre Anthony Allen and fly-half Jeremy Staunton will make their league debuts for Tigers.
Allen partners Dan Hipkiss as Tigers begin the defence of their league title away from home, while Staunton lines up alongside Ben Youngs at half-back.
Fellow summer signings Billy Twelvetrees and James Grindal, both in their second spells at the club, are on a replacements bench which is extended to eight this season to include three front-rowers.
"Everybody in the Guinness Premiership will be keen to get off to a good start," said Tigers Head Coach Richard Cockerill.
"We have two tough away fixtures to start the season before we get back to Welford Road but you have to take your best game and that is what we intend to do.
"The pre-season work is all done and everyone is very keen to get started. We trust the selected players completely, they are fit and ready to go. We have a good squad, we've brought in some new faces this summer and they have settled well, everyone has worked hard, now we want to get back out on the pitch."
Aaron Mauger, Toby Flood, Sam Vesty, Alesana Tuilagi and Boris Stankovich are unavailable due to injury, while Harry Ellis and Tom Croft sit this game out as part of the rest period agreed for British & Irish Lions players.
Meanwhile, World Cup winner Ben Cohen makes his Guinness Premiership debut in a Sharks shirt along with Jack Forster and Sisa Koyamaibole.
"This is probably the toughest challenge we could have expected on the opening night of the new season," said Director of Rugby Kingsley Jones.
"We have got several newcomers in the squad and we are playing a very settled Leicester team. I have a lot of respect for the Tigers and their achievements last season. They are very strong up front and we will need to work hard for the whole 80 minutes."
The game marks the 10th anniversary of the team being renamed Sale Sharks. The first game under the Sharks name was against Wasps at Heywood Road when Sharks won 16-8.
Form: Sale Sharks begin the season at home for the first time since 2005 when they beat Newcastle Falcons 26-25. The Sharks have won three of their last four games and have lost just once at Edgeley Park since November 2008: 25-32 to Newcastle in the Guinness Premiership on 8 March. Leicester Tigers begin the defence of their Premiership title but the form of previous defending champions in round one is not good with just two wins in the last eight years. However, the Tigers have won their own opening match for the last four seasons. Leicester's only loss in their last eleven Guinness Premiership encounters was 10-14 at Newcastle on 27 March. Three of the last four matches against Leicester in the Premiership have ended in Sharks' victories, whilst the Tigers have won just once in six previous visits to Edgeley Park: 26-25 on 6 April 2007.
Sale Sharks: 15 Nick Macleod, 14 Mark Cueto, 13 Chris Bell, 12 Lee Thomas, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole, 7 Neil Briggs, 6 James Gaskell, 5 Dean Schofield (c), 4 Chris Jones, 3 Jack Forster, 2 Marc Jones, 1 Eifion Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Gavin Kerr, 18 Martin Halsall, 19 David Tait, 20 Luke Abrahams, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Mathew Tait, 23 Andy Tuilagi
Leicester Tigers: 15 Geordan Murphy (c), 14 Matt Smith, 13 Dan Hipkiss, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Scott Hamilton, 10 Jeremy Staunton, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Jordan Crane, 7 Ben Woods, 6 Craig Newby, 5 Louis Deacon, 4 Richard Blaze, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 George Chuter, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Mefin Davies, 17 Julian White, 18 Matt Parr, 19 Ben Kay, 20 Lewis Moody, 21 James Grindal, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Johne Murphy.
Date: Friday, September 4
Venue: Edgeley Park
Kick-off: 19.45 BST
Referee: David Rose
