Powell: Starts for Sale

Only six points separate Wasps from bottom club Newcastle and, with just seven games remaining, the rivals could be jostling for survival at the end of the season.

Sale still have hopes of reaching the play-offs and chief executive Steve Diamond believes the Sharks' home form will prove critical.

"We've got four home games left in the Premiership and we've got to win them all, starting with Wasps, if we're to challenge the top four," Diamond said.

"Our discipline let us down a bit at Northampton last Saturday, so we need to keep winning our home games and pickup points where we can on the road."

Wales number eight Andy Powell starts for Sale, while injury-ravaged Wasps give starts to flanker Joe Launchbury and lock James Cannon.

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young is casting his gaze up the Premiership table, claiming his side will prosper if they show greater accuracy.

"I have no doubt that Newcastle will win a few more games, but it is up to us to control what we can control," Young said.

"We are six points in front of them, but just four behind Worcester. We can still catch teams in front of us if we can turn the narrow losses into wins.

"I genuinely believe after the last two performances (against Saracens and Exeter) that if we can just improve another 10-15 per cent then that win is not far away from us.

"We are creating good scoring opportunities, but what we need is to turn those chances from being a yard short of the line into being a yard over it. We simply need to be more clinical.

"Over the last two games we were the side who looked more likely to score tries, but the difference at the moment is that we are not finishing them off."