Sale Sharks 2026-27 preview: rebuilding under Alex Sanderson after a transitional season

Sale Sharks struggled in 2025-26, finishing seventh and only clinching a Champions Cup spot late in June. Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson labelled the campaign "a year of transition." Several heavy defeats, notably a second-half collapse at Newcastle after leading 35-10 at half-time, exposed defensive frailties and inconsistency on the road.

The club announced 15 departures and brought in multiple signings across the pack and backline. The incoming list mixes experience and foreign talent: Courtney Lawes, Joe Marchant, Nicky Smith, Tomas Francis, Alex Lozowski, Christ Tshiunza, Cebo Dlamini, Xavier Roe, JJ Scheepers, Elia Canakaivata, Ponipati Loganimasi and David Opoku-Fordjour.

Departures include both du Preez brothers, Raffi Quirke, Obi Ene, James Harper, Hyron Andrews and others. The scale of turnover means the team will likely need a period to settle but gives Sanderson room to reset standards and combinations.

• New frontline muscle and experience: Nicky Smith brings Test-level experience and a strong scrummaging profile. Courtney Lawes adds leadership and physicality in the back row.
• More options at nine: Xavier Roe arrives with Super Rugby final experience and brings a reliable pass, a kicking game and considered decision-making.

• Defence must improve: Sale conceded 602 points in the PREM last season (an average of 33 per game). That number signals structural issues in defensive patterns and consistency.
• Integration risk: With many arrivals and departures, combinations—especially around half-back and the back row—will need time to click.

• Nicky Smith (loosehead prop): Brings 66 Test caps, strong scrummaging and physicality. His presence stabilises the front row.

Rugby World's preview sees a likely bedding-in period given the turnover but anticipates improvement. A fifth-place finish is suggested as achievable if defensive form rises and new signings integrate quickly. Bookmakers' odds listed in the preview put Sale at 22-1 for the title, reflecting outsider status but acknowledging the potential of the revamped squad.

Concrete markers to monitor early in the season

• Points conceded per game: reducing the 33-per-game average will be the clearest short-term indicator of progress.
• Combination at nine-ten: whether Roe-Gus Warr dynamics produce controlled game management.
• Forward platform and scrum stability, particularly with Smith and Francis in the front row.

Sale have retooled aggressively after a poor league finish. The additions bring experience and varied skill sets, and coaching changes aim to address last season's defensive weakness. Expect a period of adjustment, but measurable improvement—especially in defence and set-piece—would make a top-five finish plausible.