Gloucester Rugby could leapfrog top four rivals this weekend with a win over Sale on Saturday.
Off the back of a comeback win at Northampton, the Cherry & Whites will be high on confidence going into this game. However, Gloucester head coach George Skivington is well aware of the threat posed by Sale’s Faf De-Klerk, insisting he has to be a focus of their preparation.
“He’s a world cup winning scrum-half so he can change the game in one moment. You’ve got to respect that and do your homework on him but it can’t become all about him because they’ve got very good players across the team.”
A quick reminder of how it stands in the Gallagher Premiership ahead of round 20 pic.twitter.com/zS48BuqRQd
— The Rugby Collective (@RugbyCollective) March 9, 2022
Currently sitting sixth with a game in-hand on the two teams above them, a maximum points haul of five would see them leapfrog Exeter and London Irish who sit fourth and fifth respectively.
However, the AJ Bell stadium has traditionally been a tricky place for Gloucester to go, winning only twice there since it opened in 2012.
Speaking before the game, head coach George Skivington discussed the dangers posed by Sale.
“We’re very respectful of Sale. It’s a tough place to go and they are in good form. They’ve got a very big pack and a lot of skill behind that. It’s a big challenge for us but we’re very focused and we’re very clear on where we need to improve our team to keep pushing on so it’s an exciting challenge for us.”
𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇-𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 | 🏖️ 19-12 🦈
— Sale Sharks 🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) March 6, 2022
A better second half but the boys didnt have enough to overpower Exeter today and leave Sandy Park with a losing bonus point.#EXEvSAL pic.twitter.com/B8ZDUbZed6
Meanwhile, Sale will be looking to re-enter the win column after a 27-27 draw with London Irish followed by a 19-12 defeat to Exeter.
With the Six Nations well underway, both teams could be without some key players.
Gloucester Captain, Lewis Ludlow was left out of the England squad to face Ireland on Saturday so he could feature for the Cherry & Whites.
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Both Chris Harris and Adam Hastings will be with Scotland for their game against Italy. Welshman Louis Rees-Zammit will also be unavailable after earning a spot on the bench against France.
As for Sale, they had somewhat of an injury nightmare against Exeter with four players departing the pitch. Cameron Neild, Raffi Quirke, Cobus Wiese and Coenie Oosthuizen all suffered injuries and could be unavailable this weekend.
Aforementioned Sale scrum-half Faf De-Klerk is certainly one to watch with his leadership skills recognised as one of the building blocks of Sale’s setup.
With the game due to kick-off at 3PM on Saturday, can Gloucester pull off a victory against the odds?
