Brive v Sale: Teams
Sale coach Steve Diamond has named a strong side to take on Brive in their opening Amlin Challenge Cup opener.
Last Updated: 11/11/11 5:31pm
Sale coach Steve Diamond has named a strong side to take on Brive in their opening Amlin Challenge Cup match.
Mark Cueto is one notable absentee but otherwise Diamond has named most of his big guns for Saturday's trip.
Mark Easter returns to the back row in place of Richie Vernon and Tony Buckley takes over in the front row with Henry Thomas dropping to the bench, in two changes to the pack beaten by Saracens last week.
Tom Brady comes in on the right wing with Will Addison moving to the left flank in place of Cueto.
Brive are having a tough season in the Top 14 and they have few star names, the most familiar being former England centre Jamie Noon.
They are otherwise a colourful squad with a number of South Africans, Georgian and South Sea Islanders in their match-day 22.
Brive: S Spedding; J Boussuge, G Namy, J Noon, M Atayi; R Swanepoel, A Figuerola; P Henn, I Natriashvili, P Barnard, T Dubarry (capt), O Caisso, P Luafutu, V Forgues, P Hauman
Replacements: L Acosta, V Kakovin, A Barozzi, J Le Devedec, S Azoulai, J Pejoine, J Caminati, B Caminati
Sale Sharks: R Miller; T Brady, J Leota, S Tuitupou (capt), W Addison; N MacLeod, W Cliff; A Dickinson, T Taylor, T Buckley, F McKenzie, J Gaskell, M Easter, D Seymour, A Powell
Replacements: M Jones, L Imiolek, H Thomas, K Myall, R Vernon, C Willis, L Burrell, A Higgins
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)