Sale v Leicester: Teams

Sale Sharks will hand debuts to Ben Cohen, Jack Forster and Sisa Koyamaibole for what director of rugby Kingsley Jones rates as the "toughest" start to the new season.

Sale will welcome defending champions - and beaten Heineken Cup finalists - Leicester to Edgeley Park.

And Jones knows his side will have to front up to the Tigers in the forwards.

Jones said: "This is probably the toughest challenge we could have expected on the opening night of the new season.

"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. We have prepared well this week and the whole squad are looking forward to the game."

Fellow summer signings Mahonri Schwalger and Gavin Kerr are named on the bench.

Absence

Leicester will have two new faces in their starting XV with Anthony Allen and Jeremy Staunton set for their debuts.

Allen will partner Dan Hipkiss in the centres, while Staunton starts at fly-half in the absence of the injured Toby Flood and Sam Vesty.

Aaron Mauger, Alesana Tuilagi and Boris Stankovich are also unavailable due to injury, while Harry Ellis and Tom Croft sit this game out after their involvement with the British and Irish Lions.

Billy Twelvetrees and James Grindal, who both returned to the club in the summer, are named on the bench.

"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.

Sale: 15 Nick Macleod, 14 Mark Cueto, 13 Chris Bell, 12 Lee Thomas, 11 Ben Cohen, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth, 1 Eifion Roberts, 2 Marc Jones, 3 Jack Forster, 4 Chris Jones, 5 Dean Schofield (c), 6 James Gaskell, 7 Neil Briggs, 8 Sisa Koyamaibole.
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, 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 George Chuter, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 4 Richard Blaze, 5 Louis Deacon, 6 Craig Newby, 7 Ben Woods, 8 Jordan Crane.
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