Sale Sharks have swooped to sign Samoa international Tasesa Lavea from reigning French champions Clermont Auvergne.

VETERAN Paddy Wallace is wary of Glasgow’s challenge at Ravenhill this evening with Ulster aiming to gain a boost before next week’s European travails.

IF THIS was supposed to be a step up in class, then the British & Irish Lions coped with it admirably. They met fire with fire, kept their try-line intact for the first time on tour and strode majestically forward towards next week’s first Test at the same venue.

Sharks 3 British and Irish Lions 39

BATH boss Steve Meehan has thrown down the gauntlet to French giants Toulouse ahead of tomorrow’s s Heineken Cup showdown, declaring: “They should be very concerned.”

Sale 16 Munster 24

Luke McAlister may have set the Guinness Premiership and Heineken Cup alight, but he is yet to convince New Zealand head coach Graham Henry of the rugby benefits of his stint with Sale Sharks.

SPRINGBOK wing Bryan Habana scored a try two minutes into injury-time to lead the Northern Bulls to a thrilling win over the Coastal Sharks for their first Super 14 title.

Calvisano 11 Sale Sharks 29

SALE director of rugby Phillipe Saint-Andre insisted his side’s Heineken Cup hopes remains alive after beating Stade Francais at Edgeley Park.

SEBASTIEN Chabal has put himself in contention for a recall to the France squad — and head coach Bernard Laporte insists the number eight’s international destiny is in his own hands.

BEN FODEN proved an inspired deputy for England wing Mark Cueto with a clinical hat-trick as Sale kick-started their Heineken Cup campaign with a bonus-point victory against Italian minnows Calvisano.

SALE SHARKS have slammed England’s medical staff after their Lions prop Andrew Sheridan was diagnosed with a prolapsed disc in his neck.

Sale Sharks forward Magnus Lund has described his England call-up as “a dream come true”.

LIKE any other day out.

Sale 30 Newport Gwent Dragons 10

Castres Olympique 16 Sale Sharks 20

FEW members of the British & Irish Lions squad returned from New Zealand with their reputations enhanced after the 3-0 whitewashing at the hands of the All Blacks.

Sale Sharks scrum-half Bryan Redpath could be sidelined for three months after he suffered a fractured cheekbone during his team’s European Challenge Cup victory against Narbonne.

England star Jason Robinson today signed a new contract that will see him finish his rugby union career with Sale Sharks.

England fly-half Charlie Hodgson has denied a Sunday newspaper report suggesting he is ready to quit Sale for a lucrative move to Leicester.

French international Philippe Saint-Andre was lured to Manchester by the ambition of Sale owner Brian Kennedy.

England coach Clive Woodward will be considering his fly-half options over the next 48 hours as he waits for news on the severity of Charlie Hodgson’s knee injury.

Sale Sharks’ Heineken Cup hopes have been dealt a blow by a six-week ban imposed on their promising hooker Andy Titterrell.

Leinster 22 Sale Sharks 23

England rugby coach, Clive Woodward, today criticised the BBC for allowing former Australia Test star David Campese to present England with a top award at the Sports Personality of the Year Show.

London Irish 9 Sale Sharks 3

Sale Sharks’ coach Jim Mallinder has predicted a thrilling race to the wire to reach this season’s Heineken Cup quarter-finals from Pool Three.

Sale will be hoping for another Jason Robinson wonder show when they target a place in the Premiership play-offs tomorrow.