Nickname: The Dogs
Ground: Heywood Road (Capacity 3,387)
This season: 10th (P2 W0 D0 L2 TB2 LB1 Pts 3)
Last season: Eighth (P26 W13 D0 L13 TB14 LB6 Pts 72)
Last Five games v Rams
Sale 25-22 Rams (February, 2025)
Rams 33-0 Sale (September, 2024)
Rams 19-36 Sale (March, 2024)
Sale 29-17 Rams (November, 2023)
Sale 35-12 Rams (April, 2023)
Recent Form:
The Dogs have suffered two northern derby defeats in the opening two National One rounds of the season, though have shown plenty of quality throughout – especially in attack.
Last Saturday they picked up two bonus-points in a 27-22 reverse at Sedgley Park, the week before a try BP secured in a 43-29 reverse at home to Rotherham Titans despite trailing 29-0 inside the opening half-hour.
Sale enjoyed a powerful pre-season with 52-28 and 59-7 victories against National Two North West sides Macclesfield and Rossendale respectively.
Players to Watch:
Stone Priestley-Nangle – Long-serving back row brought up 150 caps in the seasonal opener against Rotherham.
After spells at Darlington Mowden Park and Hull Ionians, the ball-player joined in the 2018 off-season, going onto post 14 tries for Sale.
Will Addison – A major summer signing for The Dogs, the Irish international was previously an England Under 20s Six Nations winner.
The versatile back has more than 120 Sale Sharks appearances and almost a half-century for Ulster.
Nev Edwards – Experienced former Sale Sharks and Bordeaux-Begles wing has made a remarkable return from injury and scored following a near two-year absence in the seasonal opener against Rotherham.
Best friends at Whitgift School with Danny Cipriani, Edwards played for Rosslyn Park after leaving Bordeaux before enjoying a couple of prolific seasons at The Dogs.
He grabbed 24 tries in 40 appearances across 2021/22 and 22/23, including the intercept score which dashed Rams’ promotion dream at Heywood Road in a 35-12 reverse.
Two tries in seven starts preceded injury, but fit-again and with plenty of firepower alongside, he will be seeking more scores.
