Rob du Preez starts at outside centre in one of three changes to the Sale Sharks XV for Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster in Dublin.
The 32-year-old, one-cap Springbok replaces countryman Marius Louw, who drops to the bench.
Sale’s South African contingent also includes No 8 Dan du Preez, flank Jacques Vermeulen and lock Ernst van Rhyn, who captains the team.
In other changes to the team that beat Harlequins 26-17 in London, Ethan Caine starts at hooker after Luke Cowan-Dickie suffered a season-ending forearm injury against Quins, and Si McIntyre replaces the injured Bevan Rodd at loosehead prop.
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“We’ll need to be at our best because there is no bigger challenge in club rugby,” said Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson. “We’re well aware of that but we’re not the type of team to back down from a challenge.
“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.”
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Meanwhile, Leinster have been dealt a major blow with Caelan Doris ruled out of the quarter-final. As a result, Jack Conan shifts from blindside flank to No 8 and Ryan Baird from the second row to the back row. James Ryan returns at No 5 lock, with hooker Dan Sheehan captaining the side.
Leinster are also without prop Andrew Porter, who suffered a pectoral injury during the 49-31 win over Edinburgh. Twenty-year-old academy prop Alex Usanov will make his first Champions Cup start after coming off the bench at half-time last week.
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In the backline, Garry Ringrose returns to the midfield, with Rieko Ioane moving to the left wing.
LEINSTER – 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Jamie Osborne, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Ryan Baird, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Dan Sheehan (c), 1 Alex Usanov.
Bench: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Jerry Cahir, 18 Tom Clarkson, 19 Max Deegan, 20 Scott Penny, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Robbie Henshaw.
PLAY: Investec Champions Cup game centre
SALE SHARKS – 15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom Roebuck, 13 Rob du Preez, 12 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11 Tom O’Flaherty, 10 George Ford, 9 Gus Warr, 8 Dan du Preez, 7 Sam Dugdale, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Ben Bamber, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (c), 3 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 2 Ethan Caine, 1 Si McIntyre.
Bench: 16 Alfie Longstaff, 17 Ralph McEachran, 18 James Harper, 19 Reuben Logan, 20 Jos Gilmore, 21 Dom Hanson, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Alex Wills.
Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images for Sale Sharks
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