Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of this weekend’s second Premiership semi-final, as Bath host Sale Sharks at the Rec.
By 6pm tonight – unless there is extra-time, of course – we will know who is joining Northampton in next Saturday’s Premiership final. The Saints booked their place last night with a narrow, hard-fought victory over Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens, in what proved to be a swansong for Owen Farrell with the North London club.
Today, however, all eyes are on the south west, where the team that finished second in the league, Bath, host the team that finished third, Sale. Bath have been one of the most consistent performers all season, but in the Sharks they are meeting one of the league’s form sides.
Sale will have to do it without Manu Tuilagi, however. Alex Sanderson, the Sharks’ director of rugby, was saying this week how his club gave Tuilagi every opportunity to prove his fitness for today’s semi-final, but he has just missed out.
“Manu is out there on the training field,” Sanderson said. “It’s a high-grade one injury, so it’s about as good as you can get in terms of injuries – if there is such a thing as good injuries. It’s as good a news as we could have hoped for.”
So, should Sale make the final, it sounds as if Tuilagi might get a Twickenham farewell in English rugby. There was better news for Sanderson regarding Tom Curry, however, as the England flanker is set to make his first Sale appearance of the season from the bench. Curry’s brother, Ben, captains the side.
Bath are virtually at full strength and, with home advantage, are favourites today. As we saw in the final round of the Premiership against Saracens, however, write Sale off at your peril.
All the team news is next!
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