Miles Harrison is looking forward to a cracking game as the Premiership returns when Sale host Bath.
Can Bath do the double over Sale?
The Premiership is back and Bath travel up to Stockport on Friday looking for a repeat of their win over Sale Sharks earlier this season.
Both sides are missing keys players to injury and international duty, but the Premiership waits for no man and with vital points on offer, both Sale and Bath will be hoping to get the most out of these crucial games.
Miles Harrison will be commentating from Edgeley Park on Friday and is expecting a tight tussle.
These games during the Six Nations period are always tough for the clubs Miles, but who do you think is better equipped to handle this period, Sale or Bath?
MILES REPLIES: It is a tight call. Sale will be without Sheridan, Cueto, Peel - Bath have no Hape, Banahan, Wilson or, for that matter, the injured Moody. However, the release by England of Hodgson could make a real difference. Sale with or without Hodgson - it's almost like two different teams - and if he plays a significant role on Friday night, then Sale will be definitely much better equipped to handle their Six Nations absenteeism than they would have been otherwise.
Bath beat Leicester in the LV Cup - a win that Leicester coach Richard Cockerill dismissed as meaningless. How do you see it and what will it mean for Bath heading into this game?
MILES REPLIES: Look, the LV Cup games are not the 'be all and end all', especially for the likes of Leicester who are pushing hard on two major fronts, the Heineken Cup and the Aviva Premiership, so I totally get Richard Cockerill's point. But, for Bath, a team who have not exactly had the winning habit this season, that victory, and on Leicester soil too, can only have a positive effect, albeit one that you have to keep in perspective.
On the other hand, Sale were totally destroyed by Saracens in the LV Cup, that has got have an impact on them too doesn't it?
MILES REPLIES: Yes, I agree - if we are going to say that Bath can take a bit of 'feel good' out of the Leicester result, then the reverse has to be the case for Sale. Also, it's not just that they lost; it was the manner of the defeat. There were a lot of first teamers in and around the team on the day, including Hodgson. I suppose that goes a little against my original point, re Charlie, but I emphasise the bigger point here - and this is that these LV Cup games are nowhere near as intense or as important as Premiership matches, something I am sure that we will see on Friday night.
Sale did make a good start to 2011 in the Premiership by beating Saracens and drawing at Newcastle, didn't they?
MILES REPLIES: They did. The victory against Sarries was an excellent win and they showed good nerve to hold out in the end having looked nailed on for a sizeable win at one point. The draw at Newcastle was probably satisfactory in view of the rather fortuitous nature of the Sale try. It was also vital in that it stopped Newcastle closing the gap on the Sharks and now it is Sale who have this opportunity to put some more daylight between themselves and the Falcons and Leeds before Newcastle and Carnegie take on their tricky away fixtures on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
Can you see them making the most of their home advantage and beating Bath?
MILES REPLIES: I can but Bath have won five of their last six matches in all competitions, including those two Premiership wins to start the year against Irish and Leeds and have a fine recent record against Sale. Therefore, I can see an away win too. So, an oscillating mind and, quite probably, an oscillating scoreboard for this one! If pushed in these tight situations, as you know, I tip the home team but, either way, it looks a good way to start a busy rugby weekend and I look forward to joining you from Stockport.
