Newcastle v Sale: Teams
England's loss is Newcasltle's and Sale's gain with Toby Flood and Charlie Hodgson set to battle it out at Kingston Park.
By Tony Curtis
Last Updated: 14/09/07 3:25pm
Newcastle Falcons director of rugby John Fletcher has admitted he has sympathy for England coach Brian Ashton, but that will not stop him making the most of Toby Flood.
The 22-year-old Flood had been part of England's initial training squad for the World Cup, only for him to miss out on a place on the final 30 for the tournament.
However, with Olly Barkley and Jonny Wilkinson both suffering injuries, the absence of Flood is all the more glaring.
But for Fletcher, England's loss is the Falcons' gain with 2006 Premiership champions Sale - and their own discarded No.10 Charlie Hodgson - arriving in town on Sunday.
He said: "I am sympathetic to the England coach Brian Ashton, because he had to pick a squad of 30 on a certain day in August when Charlie Hodgson hadn't proved his fitness, and when he had decided to take Jonny Wilkinson and Olly Barkley in preference to Toby Flood.
"It's fairly obvious that both Charlie and Toby would be better options at fly half than Andy Farrell, but it's a case of the competition rules forcing the situation to develop rather than anything else.
Exciting
"What it does mean is that the supporters at Kingston Park on Sunday can see Flood and Hodgson going head to head in their club shirts, and I think most fans would agree that's a pretty exciting prospect."
While Flood is available for Falcons, Fletcher is without Wilkinson, Carl Hayman, Mathew Tait and Jamie Noon - with the quartet all in France.
Russell Winter (neck), Ross Beattie (shoulder) and Jason Oakes (knee) are also missing with injuries.
However, Micky Ward and Tom May will celebrate landmark moments for the Falcons.
Tight-head prop Ward will make his 200th competitive appearance for the Kingston Park outfit, while winger May will start his 200th game for the club.
Sale will look to break their Kingston Park hoodoo on Sunday when they take on the Falcons.
The Sharks have not managed to win at Newcastle's home ground in the modern era and they are desperate to end their run of bad fortune.
And having seen his side tested to the limit during a testing pre-season programme, head coach Kingsley Jones is confident of his side's chances.
He said: "We have tested ourselves to the limit in our pre-season games playing away in Bayonne and at home to Samoa before playing an inter squad game.
Desperate
"Several of our players may be playing in the World Cup, but the squad we have at the club are desperate to get off to a good start to the season.
"After Newcastle we have Bristol at home next Sunday and we are well aware that the teams that get off to a good start whilst the World Cup is being played will set themselves up nicely for the new season.
"We have told the players that if they play well over the next few weeks, they will keep the shirt and those returning from the World Cup will have to fight for their place back in the team."
The major inclusion in the Sale line-up sees Steve Hanley make his first appearance since March 4, while Rudi Kiel is set for his debut.
Sale will also be boosted by having Hodgson make at No.10 after he came through pre-season training unscathed.
Newcastle: 15 Matthew Burke, 14 Tom May, 13 Mark Mayerhofler, 12 Joe Shaw, 11 John Rudd, 10 Toby Flood, 9 James Grindal, 1 Joe McDonnell, 2 Matt Thompson, 3 Micky Ward, 4 Andy Buist, 5 Mark Sorenson, 6 Geoff Parling, 7 Ben Woods, 8 Phil Dowson (c).
Replacements: 16, Andy Long, 17 David Wilson, 18 Andy Perry, 19 Brent Wilson, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Steve Jones, 22 Ollie Phillips.
Sale: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Chris Mayor, 13 Rudi Keil, 12 Lee Thomas, 11 Steve Hanley, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Sililo Martens, 1 Lionel Faure, 2 Neil Briggs, 3 Ben Evans, 4 Dean Schofield (c), 5 Sean Cox, 6 Magnus Lund, 7 Michael Hills, 8 Nathan Bonner Evans.
Replacements: 16 Mark Jones, 17 Stuart Turner, 18 Chris Day, 19 Chris Jones, 20 Richard Wigglesworth, 21 Chris Bell, 22 Oriol Ripol.