Manu Tuilagi: England star to make Sale Sharks debut against Harlequins

Manu Tuilagi starts at outside centre

Manu Tuilagi will make his Sale Sharks debut against Harlequins when the Premiership season resumes on Friday.

The England international starts at outside centre alongside fellow debutant Sam Hill while World Cup-winning lock Lood de Jager is handed his full debut.

Fellow World Cup winner Faf de Klerk is back at scrum-half for the first time since January. He is partnered at half-back by Rob du Preez, whose brothers Jean-Luc and Daniel are named in the pack, with former Harlequin Marland Yarde selected on the wing.

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Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond has been impressed by the professionalism of Tuilagi both on and off the pitch

Ex-Sale back Chris Ashton makes his Harlequins bow against the club he left in March and he is joined in the back three by Mike Brown, who has recovered from the knee injury that has kept him sidelined since November.

Centre Joe Marchant returns from his spell in Super Rugby while summer signing Scott Steele could make his debut off the bench.

Sale beat Harlequins 48-10 at the AJ Bell Stadium in January

"It has been a long five months without the sport we love and we are delighted to have the privilege of kicking off the competition once more," said Paul Gustard, Harlequins' head of rugby.

"It has been an unusual mid-season pre-season with limitations and moderations, but the time has also allowed us to regain a healthy squad, with injuries hampering our progress and continuity in the first half of the season.

"Sale are a dangerous team with a host of international players and they will always be a tough test. We respect them and are well aware of the humbling we took at the AJ Bell earlier in the campaign."

Chris Ashton makes his Harlequins debut against the club he left in March

Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 James Lang, 11 Nathan Earle, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Martin Landajo; 1 Joe Marler, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Simon Kerrod, 4 Stephen Lewies, 5 Matt Symons, 6 James Chisholm, 7 Chris Robshaw (c), 8 Alex Dombrant.

Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Will Collier, 19 Dino Lamb, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Will Evans, 22 Scott Steele, 23 Paul Lasike.

Sale Sharks: 15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Byron McGuigan, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Faf de Klerk; 1 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Akker van der Merwe, 3 Will-Griff John, 4 Jean-Luc du Preez, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Jono Ross (c) 7 Tom Curry, 8 Daniel du Preez.

Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 James Phillips, 20 Ben Curry, 21 Will Cliff, 22 AJ MacGinty, 23 Denny Solomona.