Daly’s finger given all-clear
ELLIOT DALY will play in Wasps’ Premiership clash at Sale tonight after recovering from a nasty dislocated finger.
Daly was injured in Wasps’ 16-15 defeat at Leicester a fortnight ago and left the field in agony with his finger bent backwards.
Wasps have had a shocking run of injuries and director of rugby Dai Young feared the worst, but Daly is back and switches to outside centre from wing.
Wasps, who will go second if they win, also have hooker Tommy Taylor on the bench for his first Premiership action of the season after knee and neck injuries.
“The Easter break has allowed us to get a couple fit,” said Young. “We have trained well and are well-prepared for the last block of four vital games.”
Sale, chasing a top-six spot, have promoted Wallaby James O’Connor to the starting team at inside centre.
Saracens are expected to delay Billy Vunipola’s return from a broken arm, likely to rule him out tomorrow against Northampton and next week’s clash with Bath.
Saracens have a week off after playing Bath and plan to give the No 8 three more weeks of recovery before an assault on the play-offs. KYREN WILSON pulled out the break of his life to stun hometown hero Ding Junhui at the China Open yesterday.
The 26-year-old, desperate to add a second ranking title to his CV, came back from the brink to win 6-5 in a thriller in Beijing.
Wilson trailed 61-0 in the decider and, after Ding missed a red, responded with a clearance of 67 to snatch the match on the final black. group. He has been fantastic at training but I understand he wants to play. The hard thing for him is he has been in our 19 every week but can’t get into the 17. As to whether he goes on loan I’m not too sure, but I would love to keep him here.”
CASTLEFORD winger Greg Eden has signed a three-year contract extension to keep him at the club until the end of 2021.
Eden, who scored 41 tries last season, said: “I’m ecstatic to have extended my contract.” REPORTS MANCHESTER CITY’S players were shaken up and unable to cope with the riotous atmosphere inside Anfield on Wednesday says Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
And he has warned Pep Guardiola’s stars Liverpool will show no mercy in the return leg at the Etihad next Tuesday as they seek an early away goal to kill the tie stone dead.
The midfielder said Liverpool’s full-throttle approach allied to the best atmosphere he has ever experienced contributed to City’s capitulation as they went 3-0 down inside 22 firsthalf minutes.
“If you are the away team and the crowd gets going like that it is horrible,” he said. “City are an amazing football team but they are only human. You put anyone in a pressure environment, in an atmosphere like that and maybe it can disturb them.
“They still played some good stuff and dominated the ball but it definitely played a part in the first half. It got us going and it would probably shake anyone up.”
Liverpool have landed in hot water with UEFA after crowd trouble, including setting off fireworks, disturbances and damage to the City coach on its way into the ground.
But Oxlade-Chamberlain insisted it was the intimidating noise inside the ground which helped Liverpool land the blows on City.
“You have to give fans credit because it is never nice coming to Anfield and hearing that crowd – I’ve been on the other end of it and it is not easy,” he said. “It goes against them and for us, and we used everything we had. It is a great result going into the second leg.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain, who scored the second of Liverpool’s three goals with a 25-yard piledriver, said there was no prospect of a Jurgen Klopp team sitting back on a threegoal cushion.
“I don’t think we will go into it with any complacency. We would be stupid if we did that,” he said. “But if we defend as well as we can and get something on the break, that will be key.
“We’re not going there accepting they are going to dominate the whole game. The performance in the first half showed what we can do with the ball and when we are going forward we are a real threat, so 2016-17
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