Sale 'not there to make up numbers' against Leinster

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson says his side may be the underdogs in their Champions Cup quarter-final tie with Leinster on Saturday but they have not travelled to Dublin "to make up the numbers".

The Sharks beat Harlequins in an all-English last-16 tie last Saturday but their poor domestic form this season, with only three wins from 12 games in The Prem, means four-time European winners Leinster will be favourites to progress to the semi-final.

Sanderson said Sale would need to be at their best to stand a chance of making it to the last four but they were not going to "back down from the challenge".

"There is no bigger challenge in club rugby. We're well aware of that," he said.

"We're not going there to be part of their party and to make up numbers. We're taking Manchester on the road and we're going to have a proper dig at them.

"This is a team that rises to challenges and finds the best of itself when their backs are against the wall. We understand that we're going there as underdogs but we're going to go after them and do it for 80 minutes."

Sanderson has made three changes to his starting 15, with Rob du Preez returning at centre to partner Rekeiti Ma'asi-White as Marius Louw drops to the bench.

Du Preez is the only adjustment in the backs as George Ford starts at fly-half, Gus Warr at scrum-half, Tom O'Flaherty and Tom Roebuck on the wings and Joe Carpenter at full-back.

Sale are without a number of front row options after England internationals Bevan Rodd and Luke Cowan-Dickie both suffered serious injuries in the win over Harlequins, while Nathan Jibulu has been banned for six weeks for biting.

That means there is a first Champions Cup start for hooker Ethan Caine, and the experienced Si McIntyre comes in at prop alongside Asher Opoku-Fordjour who made his comeback from injury in last week's victory.

Sale, who are also without the injured twin brothers Tom and Ben Curry, will be captained by Ernst van Rhyn who is in the second row alongside Ben Bamber.

Jacques Vermeulen, Sam Dugdale and Dan du Preez make up the back row.

Dan Sheehan will captain Leinster at hooker, with Alex Usanov, who comes into the team in place of Andrew Porter for his first Champions Cup start, and the experienced Tadhg Furlong alongside him in the front row.

James Ryan is back from injury to join Joe McCarthy in the locks. Jack Conan moves to number eight in the absence of Caelan Doris, with Ryan Baird and Josh van der Flier either side of him in the back row.

There is also a reshuffle in the backs following last week's win over Edinburgh as All Black Rieko Ioane moves to the wing to accommodate Garry Ringrose's return from injury as Jimmy O'Brien drops out of the 22.

Full-back Hugo Keenan, wing Tommy O'Brien and centre Jamie Osborne all retain their spots, as do fly-half Harry Byrne and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park.

The winners of Saturday's quarter-final will face either Glasgow Warriors or Toulon in the semi-finals at the beginning of May.

Leinster: Keenan; T O'Brien, Ringrose, Osborne, Ioane; Byrne, Gibson-Park; Usanov, Sheehan (capt), Furlong, McCarthy, Ryan, Baird, Van der Flier, Conan.

Replacements: Kelleher, Cahir, Clarkson, Deegan, Penny, McGrath, Frawley, Henshaw.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, R du Preez, Ma'asi-White, O'Flaherty; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Caine, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn (capt), Bamber, Vermeulen, Dugdale, D du Preez.

Replacements: Longstaff, McEachran, Harper, Logan, Gilmore, Hanson, Louw, Wills.

Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)

Assistant referees: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita), Filippo Russo (Ita)

TMO: Tual Trainini (Fra)