Tait eager to get back in the swim with Sharks after knee operation

England international aims to 'make up for lost time' as Sale try to build on record start to European campaign

England international Mathew Tait will make his first appearance of the season today, admitting: "I am very keen to make up for lost time."

Tait has been recovering from a knee operation, ruling him out of Sale Sharks' opening five Premiership games and the Amlin Challenge Cup opener against Cetransa El Salvador eight days ago. But the England Saxons squad member returns in Sharks' encounter against Italian side Petrarca at Stadio Plebiscito, where they will chase a second successive Pool Two victory.

"The knee operation was to clean out some debris," Tait said yesterday. "I feel great now and can't wait to get a good run of games under my belt. I am very keen to make up for lost time."

Sale scored 15 tries in posting a club record 97-11 European win against Cetransa, but Petrarca should prove tougher opponents, especially as the French sides Bayonne and Bourgoin feature among their notable scalps on home soil during previous campaigns.

"We must be disciplined," said the Sale head coach, Mike Brewer. "The big mistake teams make when they travel to Italy is that they automatically think the winning bonus point is guaranteed. Our first objective is to win the game – once that is achieved, we can start to look for a bonus."

Brewer has left out the scrum-half Dwayne Peel as a precautionary measure after he suffered a groin strain training with Wales, meaning another opportunity for 21-year-old Will Cliff.

Gloucester, beaten in injury time by Pool Five hosts Agen eight days ago, will be captained by England back-row forward Luke Narraway when the Italian club Rovigo arrive at Kingsholm. Narraway leads a side that includes a back division containing four players aged 21 or under – Henry Trinder, Jonny May, Dave Lewis and Freddie Burns, who replaces fly-half Nicky Robinson.

"Freddie has only played 40 minutes since June," said the Gloucester head coach, Bryan Redpath. "It's a chance for him to shine and get some game time under his belt. He is a great young talent and managing the game from the start is something he's going to be judged on. Saturday is a real opportunity for him."

Harlequins, having collected a potentially important losing bonus point in Bayonne last Sunday, should encounter few problems against Cavalieri Estra, even though the Italian visitors served notice of their potential with victory over Challenge Cup veterans Connacht last Saturday.

The Quins rugby director, Conor O'Shea, said: "That was a brilliant result. We are all forewarned, and the adage that there are no easy games any more rings very true."

The Quins line-up features a debut for the teenager Ross Chisholm at full-back, while there is also a first start for hooker Joe Gray, with Rory Clegg taking over at fly-half.

Clegg yesterday extended his contract with the club until June 2013. The fly-half, 20, joined Quins from Newcastle last year and has so far made 21 appearances for them.

Elsewhere, Agen face fellow French Top 14 club La Rochelle, Brive visit Cetransa El Salvador and Bucharest host Italian newcomers Crociati.

Leeds Carnegie, meanwhile, welcome back key forwards Steve Thompson, Marco Wentzel and Hendre Fourie against Pool Four visitors Stade Français tomorrow, with Australian Lachlan MacKay named at fly-half.

In the international game, Jaque Fourie has become the latest South Africa player to be ruled out of the year-end tour of Europe after undergoing surgery. The Western Province centre hurt his foot during the final league phase match of the Currie Cup against the Sharks in Cape Town, which was his first game after the contracted Springbok were not allowed to feature earlier in the competition due to a conditioning phase.

It was initially thought that he would only miss this week's semi-final, but after further examination, he was put under the knife, which has subsequently ruled him out for eight weeks.

"I feel sorry for Jaque," said the Province coach, Allister Coetzee. "Last week's game was his first for WP and he was really looking forward to help us win the Currie Cup. Now he sits with this injury."

The assistant coach, Robbie Fleck, added: "It is a big blow. Jaque has been immense this year for us. He is the best defensive 13 in the world and we all know what he can do on the attack."

The news will come as a big blow for the world champions, who have lost regulars in their captain John Smit and prop Gurthro Steenkamp as a result of injury in recent weeks.

The star scrum-half Fourie du Preez, Andries Bekker and Heinrich Brussow are also out of the trip during which Peter de Villiers' side will play all four home nations.

They start against Ireland in Dublin on 6 November, followed by Tests against Wales, Scotland and England on each of the remaining weekends of next month, before ending the tour with a match against the Barbarians at Twickenham on 4 December.