By Sarah Braide
March 6 2003

Lots of rugby this weekend - Sale take on Bridgend at home whilst Charlie Hodgson and Alex Sanderson are preparing to take on Italy at Twickenham. Unfortunately Charlie has been demoted to the bench this week but Alex Sanderson has done well to move from the A side to the England substitutes. We know how professional and grounded Charlie is but it would surely have been good for his confidence to let him play one of the easier Six Nations games at fly half. Jonny Wilkinson is getting the experience of captaining England but perhaps Matt Dawson could have been given that role and Charlie given the opportunity to show how well he can do in his proper position - it is not fair to plonk him at centre then complain if he is not as sharp as usual.

Meanwhile Alex Sanderson is on the England bench after a good performance against France for England A. He deserves to become part of the England squad as does Mark Cueto, who is still completely overlooked by the selectors. He will be in action against Bridgend but he should be playing for England A at least.

However Andy Titterell and Nick Walshe are on the England A bench and Sale are extremely well represented in the under 21s as usual. That representation includes Christian Day captaining and Magnus Lund moving into the team.

On Friday Sale play a friendly against Bridgend at Heywood Road. The squad is as strong as possible taking into account that several players are missing for the internationals, and Jason Robinson is resting after his injury a fortnight ago.

Squad: Going, Cueto, Elliot, Hanley, Bond, Harris, Jones, Baxendell, Wigglesworth, Moore, Yates, Thorp, Stewart, Turner, Marais, Roddam, Fullarton, Schofield, Perelini, Anglesea, Pinkerton, Wilks and Davies.

Kick off: 7.45pm.