Some transfer news to start this week’s preview with the Red Bulls announcing the signing of Mason Flesch from Major League Rugby champions Chicago Hounds. As well as lifting the title, Flesch picked up ‘Forward of the Season’ for 2026 and crossed the whitewash for ten tries in eleven games. He has also picked up 26 caps for his country so comes with international experience to go alongside his North American campaign honours. He looks a big unit and should bring some added depth in the engine room of the scrum, although given our starting lineup now, it’ll be interesting to see how much of a crack he gets at the first XV; no disrespect to the MLR, but it’s not quite the same palmarés as some of the other lads in the team. Also I have read (but not double checked, what I would do for a rugby equivalent to Cricinfo) that he is the last Canadian international to feature in the Prem since Evan Olmstead who also featured for us in the playoff making team of 2018. From one great white north to another.
Back to the rugby and it’s good to be back at KP this week after a few games on the road, this week welcoming Sale Sharks for a lone league game marooned between the cup weekends. Sorry no, this is no ordinary league game, this is ‘Derby Weekend’ which you’ll forgive me for not really buying into. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ve never really bought into the ‘northern derby’ or the Sale rivalry in general. Whilst they are technically the closest side to us, there never used to be any real animosity there, or any particular urge to beat them more than any other side; and this feels like a bit of an RFU contrivance and something to do with the two northern teams whilst the actual interesting derbies go on elsewhere.
The big talking point is likely to be Christian Wade, after the hat-trick at Exeter the chances of him equalling or even surpassing Chris Ashton’s 101 tries on Friday look pretty good. To do it against one of Ashton’s former sides would be doubly sweet and I wonder if he’ll be on the TNT broadcast team to see it happen. Not that I’m confident he will, with Storm Austen rolling in the weather at KP on Friday night is set to be appalling and I’d be shocked if many of the fast me from either side got much time with ball in hand.
Beyond Wade, a whole raft of changes from the Challenge Cup game last week sees us back to a full strength XV with Josh Hodge getting into the league side and Will Rigg making his first start of the year at centre alongside workhorse Chris Harris who has put some shift in so far this year. Simón Benítez Cruz starts at nine in front of a solid looking pack who will need to be on their game because this Sale team is cut from a familiar cloth; big and nasty.
Up front they look scary, with Luke Cowan-Dickie and both Curry brothers staring as part of a really big looking set of forwards. This is very much a part of the recent Sale way of doing things and with grim conditions forecast here’s hoping our lads are ready for a big clash up front. That’s not to take away from some of their quick men as well, George Ford is an excellent general and the rest of the back line are no slouches either.
Results wise it’s been pretty mixed although the performances have been solid. They managed to hold on to Glasgow (who are basically Scotland at this point, following the Leinster blueprint) for a good hour last week and have already scored wins at Saracens and at home vs Harlequin’s, although they did need to dig deep into the locker, and the rulebook, to get over the line vs Quins and did lose at home against Bristol to start the year. For me they look like they’ll be firmly in the rough and tumble of Prem mid table.
Danger man – A Curry brother. Pick your poison but with the storm rolling in I can see this being a gritty arm wrestle and they’re both the sort of quality operator with the ball and on the deck that could make the difference.
Prediction – I think we have a chance, not a big one, but as much as against any of the other sides in that mid table range. That said, I can’t see the win, Sale by less than a score.
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