Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of today’s second Premiership semi-final between Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers at the AJ Bell Stadium.
No matter the result in Salford today, history of sorts will be made. A win for Sale would see the Sharks progress to their first final in 17 years, since their one and only Premiership triumph in 2006. Their opponents that day? Leicester Tigers of course.
At the heart of that Sale effort in 2006 was a fledgling scrum-half by the name of Richard Wigglesworth. Today, however, Wigglesworth finds himself as interim head coach of the side trying to get one over his boyhood club, with the Tigers hoping to reach consecutive Premiership finals for the first time in 10 years.
Form this season, notwithstanding the Tigers’ remarkable last season charge where they won six of their final Premiership matches, dictates that Sale are favourites today. The Sharks did the double over Leicester – including a 40-5 hammering in Salford in December – en route to a fully deserved second-place finish in the table. Alex Sanderson has had quite the impact at Sale.
Sub-plots teem today but it is difficult to look beyond the man occupying the No 10 jersey for the hosts. George Ford was inspirational in the Tigers’ Premiership title last season but today he is a Shark, hoping to appear at his second successive Premiership final – but with different clubs. There cannot be too many who have done that.
With two impressive, fairly well matched packs, the battle of the midfield – outside of Ford and opposite number, Handrè Pollard – could go a long way to deciding today’s victor. Dan Kelly, Leicester’s starlet who, were it not for a hamstring injury, might have played a much more prominent role in England’s Six Nations campaign lines up against a former Leicester icon, Manu Tuilagi, in the Sale midfield. If Kelly can deny Sale forward momentum, then Leicester might have half a chance.
After their victory over Northampton yesterday, Saracens await in the final at Twickenham in just under two weeks’ time. No matter the result today, Mark McCall’s side must surely be favourite’s in English rugby’s showpiece, but a statement result from one of these two could really put the cat among the pigeons.