Northampton vs Sale - Saturday 3pm

[Puja]

Northampton: Hutchinson, Sleightholme, Proctor, Dingwall (c), Skosan, Furbank, Mitchell; Iyogun, Matavesi, Painter, Ribbans, Nansen, Wilkins, Harrison, Augustus.

Replacements: Haywood, Waller, Hill, Ratuniyarawa, Coles, Lomani, J Grayson, Francis

Sale: S James, Roebuck, R du Preez, R Janse van Rensburg, Reed, MacGinty, Quirke; Harrison, Langdon, Oosthuizen, Wiese, JP du Preez, JL du Preez, Ross (c), D du Preez.

Replacements: Taylor, McIntyre, Jones, Barrow, Nield, de Klerk, Doherty, McGuigan.

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU).

[Puja]

I see Francis is making another comeback inbetween concussions. I do hope he actually manages to make the final whistle this week.

Puja

[Adam_P]

I think, mercifully, it was a foot injury this time - picked up barely into the first half of his last come back.

[Mellsblue]

12. Dingwall
13. Proctor

Is Banquo on the selection panel at Northampton?

[BenHK]

Interesting that Quirke is preferred over De Klerk for staying SH

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[FKAS]

I think Quirke and de Klerk are rotating. De Klerk started last week, Quirke the week before that. Makes sense as it increases the competition and allows de Klerk to ease back in post injury.

I wonder if Saints will target du Preez at 13, Hutchinson coming on one of his arcing runs from the back could make the most of Ron's iffy positioning in the unfamiliar position.

[Mikey Brown]

Is Tuilagi with England or is he… y’know?

[Puja]

Is Tuilagi with England or is he… y’know?

With England, honing his Andre Esterhuizen impression with Smith.

Puja

[FKAS]

Is Tuilagi with England or is he… y’know?

With England, honing his Andre Esterhuizen impression with Smith.

Puja

Ah so if he isn't injured already he will be by next weekend. Running Manu into brick walls has always been a recipe for injury.

[Mikey Brown]

Is there really any pattern to what causes his injuries? I mean wasn’t the SA one literally diving over for a try?

[p/d]

Is there really any pattern to what causes his injuries? I mean wasn’t the SA one literally diving over for a try?

Going into the game carrying an injury. Well, that’s how I saw it

[Banquo]

Is there really any pattern to what causes his injuries? I mean wasn’t the SA one literally diving over for a try?

Going into the game carrying an injury. Well, that’s how I saw it

Yes, carrying his hamstring. His injuries seem to be mainly groin and hamstring, though he has done knee ligaments. Some folks just have a propensity for these sorts of injury- suspect his early conditioning wasn’t right.

[Mikey Brown]

I get that, but I mean is it the sort of thing that’s necessarily even more prone to trouble from contact than from running and general play?

That’s not me trying to offer a medial opinion on it one way or the other.

[FKAS]

I think some of the problems with Manu have been his last name. He isn't his brothers he is pretty much the runt of the litter, I mean it's some litter but his brothers are monsters and Manu isn't of the same ilk. Manu is more explosive but lacks the sheer size of say Alesana (I bet them both years ago and they were great with the fans but Alesana was huge and Manu just big). The name Tuilagi and the sheer physicality of his brothers has generally meant that there's been an assumption that Manu should be big and be able to smash his way through. After his initial emergence he starts adding weight and then started the hamstring injuries. Every time he came back he came back bigger and injuries returned quicker.

It wasn't until I think Murphy took over encouraged him to operate leaner and for Tigers to work on putting himself into space that he flourished again. Then he moved to Sale who put him at 12 and ran him into contact, injury. Sanderson seems to have encouraged him to go lighter and work on his explosive impact so hopefully he stays fitter now.

[32nd Man]

A cracking opportunist try by Roebuck.

Watching R Du Preez getting skinned again and again is getting a bit ridiculous.

It will be interesting to see if sale can keep up the winning run for the remainder of the 6ns.

[fivepointer]

Do you mean Arron Read with the opportunist try?

That lad is absolutely electric. Like the balance with the bigger, more powerful Roebuck on the other wing.

[32nd Man]

Sorry yes. Had one eye on the highlights.