Sale Sharks face the daunting task of travelling to Dublin in round two of the Champions Cup to face last year’s runner-up Leinster.
Following the wins for both Leinster and Sale last weekend, a win for either side would put them at the top of their pool.
Shark’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson is well aware of the unenviable task his team faces.
He said: “They’ve got the mentality, the competence, and the cohesion that you would want to take on a Champions Cup, and they are probably the favourites for it.
“They are incredibly smart; there are no chinks in their armour. They are probably the best team at keeping the ball and attacking.”
Despite a change in head coach with the Irish side, the expectation will be an approach that has become synonymous with Leinster and Ireland.
But having won the last round, Sale enters the game with a spring in their step as they look to put a stop to the Irish juggernaut.
Sanderson said: “We are focused on ourselves, as if you start to look at them and what they have done, you could begin to get overawed with the challenge we face.
“They don’t change how they play, how efficient they are in how they are playing, that is one of their biggest strengths.
“I would look for a first-half intensity similar to that against Stade but a little bit more clinical.”
As the list of injuries grows with Sale, the club travels to the RDS with as strong a squad as possible and does not rest their squad, as has been reported by many in the Irish media.
Sharks will be without Simon McIntyre, Dan Du Preez, and Tom O’Flaherty.
Sanderson said: “You can’t afford to do that unless you want a pasting.
“We are going full bore and as competitive given the caveats regarding injury and fatigue.”
The strength in depth of Sharks are being challenged by the Premiership and Champions Cup campaigns.
And Sanderson admires the talent that Leinster has through their underage system.
He said: “When the 18–24-year-olds step in, they have been in the system for six or so years, so they know the system that well.
“They are ready to go. They are ready-made, out steps one in steps another.
“They can go straight into the Ireland team because they are that good.
“They have got unbelievable strength in depth because of the system they have and the coaching setup they have, so when they do come through, they are ready for it.”
But Sale will look to overcome the odds-on Saturday night against Leinster when the game kicks off in the RDS at 5:30pm in the Champions Cup.
