By Sarah Braide
May 25 2002

It's crunch time! Reaching the final in the Perker Pen Shield is the closest we've come to silverware since the Pilkie Cup final in 1997 and this time we've got every chance of coming out victorious. We know that Sale can play well enough to beat Ponty and we have a full squad to choose a team from. The most significant absentee is Iain Fullarton who is troubled with an hip injury. Charlie Hodgson should be well up for the game after renewing his contract with Sale for another three years.

The full-back and wingers will definitely be Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto and Steve Hanley respectively, but there is competition in the centres with four of them named in the squad. I reckon it will be Martin Shaw and Dan Harris, but we'll have to wait and see.

Obviously Charlie Hodgson and Bryan Redpath will be first choice at 10 and 9 but then the forwards could line up in a number of different ways. The front row is likely to be Kevin Yates, Charl Marais and Stuart Turner. But it all gets complicated after that. Maybe Scott Lines and Chris Jones in the second row and Alex Sanderson, Stu Pinkerton and Pete Anglesea behind them?

Predictions for the result were indecisive in the site poll this week. Sale narrowly lost out with 49% saying we would win, but a more significant 61% of you thought thte result would be close.

Question: Predictions for the Euro Shield final on Sunday?
Big Sale win 16%
Sale edge it 33%
Ponty edge it 31%
Ponty wipe floor with us 20%

Sale Squad: Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto, Steve Hanley, Jos Baxendell, Martin Shaw, Dan Harris, Mel Deane, Charlie Hodgson, Bryan Redpath, Alan Dickens, Adam Black, Kevin Yates, Stuart Turner, Andy Titterrell, Charl Marais, Mark Giacheri, Chris Jones, Scott Lines, Alex Sanderson, Richard Wilks, Stuart Pinkerton, Pete Anglesea.