Sale's Curry set for return from injury against Bath

Tom Curry has played for Sale Sharks since 2016

England flanker Tom Curry is set to make his first appearance since the World Cup after he was named on Sale Sharks’ bench for their Premiership semi-final away at Bath on Saturday.

Curry, 25, needed hip surgery, describing the injury as a “car crash”.

He last played against Argentina in the third-place play-off win in October.

But his international team-mate Manu Tuilagi may have played his final match for Sale before leaving to join French Top 14 side Bayonne because of injury.

Meanwhile, Bath have made one change the team which beat Northampton in round 18, with Alfie Barbeary set to start at number eight.

Barbeary starts having swapped with Josh Bayliss, who drops to the bench.

"To get a home-semi final was amazing. The Rec is a special place. The whole city gets behind us, it’s an amazing place to be at, and play at, and I am loving every minute," Barbeary told BBC Radio 5 live.

Barbeary has recovered from an inury-hit few years to play a key role in Bath’s run to the semi-finals this season.

The 23-year-old has yet to be capped by England but hopes his performances for Bath can force him onto Steve Borthwick’s radar.

"This is the most rugby I have played in a while and I have set my expectations up there and I want to be in the conversation to play for England," he added.

"But I am very focused on doing my job for Bath and what will be will be. I need to keep working hard and hopefully if I play well at Bath it will all fall into place."

Curry is among six forwards on the Sharks' bench, with Raffi Quirke and Luke James the only backs selected by Alex Sanderson.

Curry's return comes after he underwent a six-hour operation for arthritic change and tears to the labrum and cartilage.

The winner of the match will face the winner of Friday's semi-final between Northampton Saints and Saracens in the Premiership final on 8 June at Twickenham Stadium.

Bath: Gallagher, Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Redpath, Muir, Russell, Spencer (capt); Obano, Dunn, du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Annett, Schoeman, Stuart, Stooke, Bayliss, Schreuder, Bailey, Reid.

Sale: Carpenter, Roebuck, James, R du Preez, O’Flaherty, Ford, Warr; Rodd, Taylor, Harper, Wiese, Andrews, B Curry (capt), Dugdale, JL du Preez.

Replacements: Creevy, McIntyre, John, Bamber, van Rhyn, Quirke, L James, T Curry.