Sale Sharks play their first match since reshuffling their coaching department when they host London Irish at the Salford City Stadium on Friday.

The Aviva Premiership's bottom-placed team removed Bryan Redpath as director of rugby earlier this week - only to then appoint him as head coach.

Meanwhile, Steve Diamond will be taking charge of the team for the remainder of the season in a bid to turn around their bad fortune.

Regardless of who's calling the shots, the Sharks are still in desperate need of points and have failed to notch up a win from their first seven league games of the season.

Their opponents on Friday have been enjoying victories in Europe, but domestic success has been less easy to come by and five defeats from their first seven matches has left them one place above Sale.

Mark Cueto and Danny Cipriani will start for the hosts, while Marland Yarde, Sailosi Tagicakibau and Darren Allinson all feature for the visitors.

Recent form:

Sale: LLLWLL

London Irish: WLWWWL

Lineups:

Sale: Macleod, Cueto, Leota, Tuitupou, Shepherd, Cipriani, Willis, Harrison, Taylor, Buckley, Gray, McKenzie, Vernon, Seymour, Powell
Replacements: Ward, Lewis-Roberts, Cobilas, Myall, Easter, Peel, Miller, Brady

London Irish: Watson, Ojo, Armitage, Tagicakibau, Yarde, Humphreys, Allinson, Lahiff, Lawson, Aulika, Evans, Garvey, Danaher, Gibson, Hala'ufia
Replacements: Blaney, Griffiths, Halavatau, Skivington, Treviranus, Shingler, Geraghty, Moates

Sports Mole says: A rejuvenated Sale to taste victory.