04-04-2025
Sale's Ben Curry returns to face champions Toulouse
Investec Champions Cup last 16: Toulouse v Sale SharksVenue: Stadium de Toulouse Date: Sunday, 6 April Kick-off: 15:00 BSTCoverage: Follow live text commentary on BBC Sport website and app
Ben Curry returns as Sale Sharks make five changes for their trip to face defending champions Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup last Bevan Rodd is unavailable through injury so Si McIntyre steps into the front row, while Ernst van Rhyn switches from flanker to lock and co-captain Ben Curry returns to partner identical twin Tom in the back James comes in at full-back in place of Joe Carpenter, who misses out with a calf injury, while Arron Reed is named on the wing and Rekeiti Ma'asi-White starts at inside George Ford will continue to steer the Sale attack from Premiership side, who finished third in Pool Four to qualify for the knockout stages, have beaten French opposition previously in this year's competition, securing an impressive home win over Toulon. Toulouse, meanwhile, have made five changes to the side which cruised past Pau in their last Top 14 fly-half Romain Ntamack returns to the starting XV to partner Paul Graou, who continues to deputise at scrum-half after Antoine Dupont's long-term knee Jack Willis and France's Francois Cros return in the back row, while influential lock Emmanuel Meafou is recalled to the engine room and David Ainu'u starts at away trip to either Toulon or Saracens awaits the victors in the quarter-finals.
Line-ups
Toulouse: Ramos; Capuozzo, Barassi, Ahki, Kinghorn; Ntamack, Graou; Ainu'u, Marchand (capt), Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Willis, Cramont, Neti, Merkler, Verge, Jelonch, Castro-Ferreira, Mallia, Sharks: James; Roebuck, R du Preez (co-capt), Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, T Curry, B Curry (co-capt), JL du McElroy, Harrison, John, Andrews, Bamber, Dugdale, Thomas, O' Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
