Aviva Premiership
Sale recall Cipriani for Wasps match
ESPN Staff
September 19, 2013
Danny Cipriani has been named in Sale's 23 for their game against Wasps © PA Photos
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Sale Sharks have recalled fly-half Danny Cipriani to their matchday squad for Friday night's game against London Wasps in Salford.

Cipriani has found himself out of the mix for Sale's first two games of the season but took part in Monday night's match for the Jets, their second string. Sale are currently one from two in the Aviva Premiership and Cipriani is name on the bench against his former employers.

And Sale boss Steve Diamond hopes he will see Cipriani making headlines for all the right reasons. "Danny's a game changer and if we need that skill set from the bench then we've got him in place," Diamond said. "He's knuckled down in training, he's bided his time even though he's not been selected and he's been positive and you can't ask for anything else from him.

"When it comes to Danny, I've coined the phrase 'let's see him on the back pages, not the front pages'. He's knuckled down and what goes on in his private life is up to him, though I do think things were sensationalised over the summer. But he's kept a low profile at work, he's trained hard and has looked forward to getting a chance. When that comes, hopefully he'll take it."

In other changes for Sale, Ross Harrison, Tommy Taylor, Kirill Kulemin and Robert Miller are all promoted from the bench with Eifion Lewis Roberts, Marc Jones, Johnathan Mills and Phil MacKenzie taking their places among the replacements.

For Wasps, they have called on ex-Sharks second-row Kearnan Myall and he will make his debut for the Adams Park side alongside Joe Launchbury, with Tom Palmer out of the mix through injury. Myall's inclusion is one of four changes to the side that lost to Exeter with Ben Jacobs and Charlie Davies starting while Carlo Festuccia makes his debut. On the bench, Nathan Hughes and Joe Carlisle are included.

Elsewhere on Friday night, Worcester will look to get their first win under Dean Ryan when they host Harlequins at Sixways. Ryan has made four changes from the side that fell to London Irish last weekend with Jake Abbott, Jeremy Becasseau, John Andress and Dean Schofield all starting.

"I don't think we're a million miles off getting a win and, at some stage, someone's going to get bumped and we're going to gain confidence," Ryan said. "This is a new challenge for me and we have to keep trying to improve when we're up against good sides. We've got to try and be competitive and get good results. Friday nights are pretty special here. Harlequins are a brilliant side and I like what they do. I'm looking forward to them coming up against us."

Harlequins have made a stuttering start to the 2013-14 campaign winning their opener by a point against Wasps and losing at home to Northampton last weekend. And Conor O'Shea has made a few changes to the team with Rob Buchanan, Will Collier and Tom Guest all starting. Nick Easter shifts to the second-row alongside George Robson with George Merrick providing the cover.

Quins are already coping with an injury list including the likes of Nick Kennedy, Charlie Matthews, Ross Chisholm and Ollie Lindsay-Hague and they have received a further blow this week following the news Joe Gray is out until the end of November with a knee injury. Paul Doran-Jones and Jordan Turner-Hall are also unavailable with the latter potentially needing surgery on a hip injury.

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