Sale v Gloucester: Teams

Thomas: Returning to inside centre

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Sale Sharks welcome back Lee Thomas for their Guinness Premiership home clash against Gloucester Rugby.

Thomas replaces Andy Tuilagi at inside centre, with the Samoan taking the number 13 jersey.

Director of rugby Kingsley Jones will also bring Dwayne Peel off the bench to play at scrum-half in place of Richard Wigglesworth.

Jones has made a number of changes to the pack that lost to Northampton Saints, but insists it was not all doom and gloom at Franklin's Gardens.

"There were some pleasing signs in the game last week at Northampton," said Jones.

"We fought back well in the second half and were not that far away at the end.

"Gloucester are in a false position near the foot of the table and I am sure that after their defeat last week at home to Wasps, they will be ready for a real scrap tomorrow night."

Meanwhile, Gloucester will travel to Edgeley Park boosted by the timely return of England international Mike Tindall.

Tindall returns to outside centre after being absent with a hamstring injury since Gloucester's victory at Leeds Carnegie at the beginning of the month, forming a new look centre partnership with Tim Molenaar.

Sidelined

James Simpson-Daniel moves to the wing and Samoan international Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu is sidelined with a knee injury.

Welsh international Nicky Robinson returns at fly-half to partner Rory Lawson, while Paul Doran-Jones and Andrew Hazell start in place of injured Alasdair Dickinson and Akapusi Qera respectively.

"I'm looking forward to it. We've played well up there in the past," said coach Bryan Redpath.

"Last year we didn't perform as well but the previous three times we've done really well."

"They've gone through a bit of a transition with players and are below us in the league by one point. They are playing like us in some aspects, I can see their frustration as well.

"So we've got to go up there confident, as a group and not carry what happened last Saturday. We've got to get out of it, we've got to focus on the problems we have and there's no better way to do that than another game."

Sale Sharks: 15 Nick Macleod, 14 Ben Cohen, 13 Andy Tuilagi, 12 Lee Thomas, 11 Marika Vakacegu, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Dwayne Peel, 1 Eifion Roberts, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Jack Forster, 4 Brent Cockbain, 5 Dean Schofield, 6 Carl Fearns, 7 Luke Abraham, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole.
Replacements: 16 Mahonri Schwalger, 17 Gavin Kerr, 18 Rob O'Donnell, 19 James Gaskell, 20 David Seymour, 21 Chris Leck, 22 Jonny Kennedy, 23 Oriol Ripol.

Gloucester: 15 Tom Voyce, 14 James Simpson-Daniel, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Tim Molenaar, 11 Lesley Vainikolo, 10 Nicky Robinson, 9 Rory Lawson, 1 Paul Doran-Jones, 2 Scott Lawson, 3 Greg Somerville, 4 Will James, 5 Dave Attwood, 6 Alasdair Strokosch, 7 Andrew Hazell, 8 Gareth Delve.
Replacements: 16 Darren Dawiduik, 17 Pierre Capdevielle, 18 Yann Thomas, 19 Adam Eustace, 20 Akapusi Qera, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Carlos Spencer, 23 Charlie Sharples.