Saint-Andre wants Sharks with bite

Philippe Saint-Andre has challenged English champions Sale Sharks to “kick-start” their Heineken Cup campaign tomorrow night by collecting a maximum points haul against minnows Calvisano.

Sale cannot realistically afford any further slip-ups in Pool Three following an agonising 17-16 injury-time loss to the Ospreys last week.

Normal service should resume when Calvisano arrive at Edgeley Park, with rugby director Saint-Andre setting his sights on a considerably improved display.

“We are looking forward to getting back to winning ways after our disappointing display in south Wales,” he said.

“We must, however, respect Calvisano for the whole game. We need to win tomorrow and aim to get a bonus point, too, to kick-start our Heineken Cup campaign and set us up for the back-to-back games against Stade Francais in December.”

Sharks will be without England wing Mark Cueto, as he rests an ankle injury sustained against the Ospreys, but he is still expected to be fit for Sunday week’s appointment with World Cup favourites New Zealand.

Ben Foden takes Cueto’s number-14 shirt, while full-back Jason Robinson, centre Mark Taylor and lock Chris Jones are among those rested to bench duty. French powerhouse Sebastian Chabal is recalled at number eight.

Calvisano include former Leeds fly half Roland De Marigny and ex-Sale player Warren Spragg in a team led by Italian Test scrum-half Paul Griffen.

Llanelli Scarlets and Ulster put their unbeaten Pool Five records on the line at Stradey Park tomorrow night, where Scarlets fly-half and new Wales captain Stephen Jones faces a key individual battle opposite Ulster’s tactical controller David Humphreys.

The Scarlets opened with a bonus point triumph against London Irish, but Ulster trumped that display by smashing three-time European champions Toulouse 30-3 in Belfast.

“Ulster were outstanding against Toulouse,” said Scarlets coach Paul Moriarty. “Anyone who can do that to a team of Toulouse’s pedigree has to be brimming full of confidence.

“Ulster destroyed Toulouse at the breakdown area and every time Toulouse went in with the ball Ulster defenders smashed them.

“It is no exaggeration to say that Toulouse were well and truly shocked. I don’t think Toulouse were prepared for what Munster threw at them.”

In tomorrow’s other Heineken Cup encounter, Castres are favourites to overcome Pool One outsiders Treviso, especially after a battling performance in losing narrowly to 2004 Heineken Cup winners Wasps last weekend.

The second-tier European Challenge Cup competition also continues tomorrow, with unbeaten Pool One rivals Bristol and Newport Gwent Dragons meeting at the Memorial Stadium.

Bristol head coach Richard Hill has named a powerful starting 15, including England scrum-half hopeful Shaun Perry, former Lions hooker Mark Regan and Wales second-row veteran Gareth Llewellyn.

“We tried to play fancy rugby against Bucuresti last Saturday without doing the hard graft first,” said Hill, reflecting on a 27-3 win.

“I was disappointed because we had talked about it beforehand. I can’t explain the errors. I think maybe we had believed our own publicity a bit.

“I hope we have learned the lesson. We’ve had a kick up the backside. We will not be able to squander quality scoring chances against Newport Gwent Dragons. They are far too good for that.”

The Dragons side features Wales autumn Test squad members Kevin Morgan, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Cooper and Ian Gough, while back-row pair Colin Charvis and Michael Owen will look to make statements after being left out of the 32-man group.

Elsewhere in the cup tomorrow, Glasgow host GRAN Parma in Pool Two, with Viadana meeting Pool Five visitors Albi.