Saracens vs Sale Sharks line-ups: Premiership Rugby final team news

Saracens and Sale Sharks will face off in the Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 27 May. Five-time champions Saracens last won the title four years ago, while it has been 17 years since Sale Sharks reached the final, emerging victorious against Leicester in 2006. Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson has made one enforced change, with flanker Sam Dugdale replacing the injured Ben Curry, while No 8 Jono Ross skippers the team on his final appearance before retirement. Saracens coach Mark McCall has made one change, with loosehead prop Eroni Mawi replacing England international Mako Vunipola, who will start on the bench.
 
ITV1 and BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate will broadcast the game. ITV1 will kick off coverage at 2:25pm, while BT’s coverage starts at 2pm. Registered viewers can also follow ITV’s online stream, ITVX. For BT viewers, the UK Prime Minister has confirmed extra time for pub opening hours on 26 May to accommodate the final on Saturday 27 May. Outside of the UK, the game will air on various channels, including ESPN2 in the US.
 
Earlier this year, Saracens were fined and relegated to the Championship for two seasons over breaches of the wage cap rules. They were also fined £5.3m ($7.5m). English Premiership Rugby confirmed that the punishment would follow the club down to the second tier, although it allowed for “partially suspended points deductions” because of the “unique and unprecedented circumstances” of Covid-19. Saracens are however planning to quickly regain their status with a mix of their talented academy players and a sprinkling of seasoned veterans, all looking for an opportunity to redeem the team’s reputation and return them to the top of English rugby.
 
Sale Sharks will be looking to upset the applecart if they are to take out the experienced and successful Saracens side. The Sharks have bulked up their forward pack, boasting talented flankers Tom Curry and Ben Curry, as well as powerful forwards Jono Ross and Josh Beaumont. Additionally, with England fly-half George Ford leading the backline, a Sale triumph could upset the traditional hegemony of the Premiership.



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