Image source, Rex Features

Away from the AJ Bell Stadium, it's a big night of sport on the BBC...

• Live text and video coverage of the World Snooker Championship semi-final between Ding Junhui and Alan McManus (tartan suit and all) here.
• Live text and BBC Radio 5 live commentary of the Championship football match between Birmingham v Middlesbrough.

Is that a chance missed for Gloucester? Mark Atkinson intercepts near his own 22 and has open space in front of him, but opts to kick instead of run clear and sends the ball into touch in the Sale half.

Perhaps he didn't think he would have the legs to outpace the Sale players tracking back?

Gloucester still lead courtesy of Greig Laidlaw's early penalty.

Excellent running from Sale centre Sam James after the home side pinched a Gloucester line-out on halfway.

Scrum to Sale on the opposition's 22 - the Sharks' first chance for points.

That's a clever little kick from Gloucester's Willi Heinz, finding touch inside Sale's 22.

The line-out from Tommy Taylor is solid enough, and Peter Stringer kicks to safety.

Sale have the first scrum of the game on halfway after some good work at the breakdown, and that's the foundation for a break by Mike Haley.

Gloucester knock on 20 yards upfield, and there's a stoppage in play as veteran Sharks scrum-half Peter Stringer takes a slight knock to the head.

The home side give away an early penalty at the ruck and Greig Laidlaw, playing at fly-half for Gloucester rather than his customary scrum-half position, slots over the first points of the game from 30 metres.

Sale get things going at the AJ Bell Stadium.

The floodlights are on as the sun sets on a dry night in England's north west.

Both teams are out on the field and we'll shortly be under way.

Listen to live radio commentary from BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Gloucestershire by clicking on the Live Coverage tab at the top of the page.

Image source, Rex Features and Getty Images

Sale fans will wave goodbye to three players who are making their final home appearances for the Sharks this evening, before leaving the club in the summer.

Fly-half Danny Cipriani (l) and hooker Tommy Taylor (r) are off to Wasps, while prop Vadim Cobilas is joining French Top 14 side Bordeaux-Begles.

It's a special night for Tonga back-row Sione Kalamafoni, who makes his 100th competitive appearance for Gloucester this evening.

Image source, Rex Features

Two late Gloucester changes to tell you about...

Full-back Tom Marshall is out with a throat infection so Mark Atkinson takes his starting place, while a late injury to Paul Doran-Jones means John Afoa will take his place in the front row.

Sale: Haley; Addison, James, Leota, Edwards; Cipriani, Stringer; Harrison, Taylor, Cobilas, Evans, Ostrikov, Neild, Seymour (capt), Ioane.

Replacements: Briggs, Lewis-Roberts, Mujati, Mills, Ioane, Mitchell, Ford, Jennings.

Gloucester: Atkinson; Cook, Trinder, Twelvetrees, Thorley; Laidlaw (capt), Heinz; Thomas, Hibbard, Afoa, Savage, Thrush, Moriarty, Kvesic, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Cole, Wood, McNulty, Morgan, Evans, Braley, Creed, Ludlow.

Image source, Rex Features

Unbeaten in 10 home Premiership games so far this season, Sale are attempting to go through an entire league campaign without losing at the AJ Bell Stadium.

As Nathan Middleton writes, Sharks were the only unbeaten team at home in Europe until the start of April, before losing to Montpellier in the Challenge Cup.

And who was the last team to remain undefeated at home in a full Premiership season, I hear you ask?

Well, that would be tonight's opponents Gloucester (who else?) some five years ago.

Image source, Rex Features

Sale and Gloucester play their penultimate Premiership games of 2015-16 knowing even two wins from their final two matches may not be enough to achieve their remaining goals for the campaign.

The Sharks are fifth but are six points behind Leicester, who occupy the fourth play-off spot.

Gloucester lie eighth but must rely on Northampton and Harlequins slipping up if they are to qualify for next season's Champions Cup.

The chances of either happening are slim. Nothing less than a win will do, otherwise those chances will disappear altogether.