Sale Sharks will have Tom Curry, Nathan Jibulu and Luke James back for their final game of the season against Bristol Bears on Saturday afternoon, a late boost for a team trying to finish a difficult campaign on a stronger note. Alex Sanderson said all three were available again, with Curry and Jibulu returning to the squad and James also back in contention.
Curry’s return is the biggest of the three. He has passed the return-to-play protocols after a setback at a recent England alignment camp, and has played only 41 minutes against Leicester Tigers since being injured during the Six Nations. For Sale, that means a proven international back in place for a match that has become more than a formality: it is the last chance to salvage something from a league season in which they have won only four times in the Gallagher PREM.
Jibulu’s comeback is just as striking for different reasons. He has completed a six-week suspension after admitting biting Harlequins prop Will Hobson, a ban imposed after Sale’s Champions Cup last-16 win at the Twickenham Stoop on April 4. Sanderson said the hooker’s return, along with Curry and James, gives the squad “a bit more experience” and “a bit more bang” as they head into Saturday afternoon’s finale.
That selection picture still has one live question attached to it. Tom Roebuck made his first career appearance at outside centre in last weekend’s 45-42 defeat against Newcastle Red Bulls, and Sanderson said the move could happen again. Roebuck scored in that game, but the switch came only after injuries to Rob Du Preez and Marius Louw forced Sale to improvise, and Sanderson made clear he was pleased enough with the experiment to consider it again.
The wider backdrop is not flattering. Bristol Bears were knocked out of top-four contention last weekend, while Sale arrive at the finish line with momentum thin and results thinner. Roebuck, Curry and Jibulu give Sanderson more options than he had a week ago, and that may be enough to change the shape of the team as the club tries to end a frustrating season with something more convincing than a final-day shuffle.
