After scrapping their way through 2012-13, many had Sale Sharks down to struggle again with some rating them as favourites for relegation. But they showed the doubters how wrong they were.

Sale Sharks fly-half Danny Cipriani has the chance to end his five-year drought of international rugby after being selected in a 20-man training squad ahead of this summer’s tour to New Zealand.

The Australian-born player joins from Treviso as a replacement for Rob Miller who is leaving the Sharks to join London Wasps in the summer along with teammate James Gaskell

In a little over a year Steve Diamond has turned Sale Sharks around having stepped down as CEO before managing the club to sixth in the league with two games remaining

Sharks Tom Arscott poised to play older brother Luke after the pair’s first clash this season when the Chiefs capitalised on a poor first-half performance from Sale and won 18-16.

On the agenda this week the team discuss the huge Premier League clash between Manchester City and Liverpool at Anfield and decide whether it will decide the destination of the title

Cipriani, 26, helped Sale go unbeaten in March as the Manchester-based side climbed the Premiership table

Premiership fifth-placed side Sale take on title hopefuls Northampton in last eight of Amlin Challenge Cup

With Bath on horizon Sale targetting a European berth following on from morale-boosting Northampton win

Premiership pacesetters Northampton to provide stern test for mid-table Sale on Saturday

Sale in sixth, clear of seventh and on the coat tails of fourth and fifth with time running out this season