Captaincy of Sale propels Robinson into Welsh turf war

Jason Robinson is not exactly noted for letting the grass grow under his feet: fast-tracked into the England team by the manager, Clive Woodward, he took all of a couple of minutes to score his first Test try as a Lion – a staggering piece of twinkle-toed individualism that laid the foundations for the epic victory over Australia in Brisbane 18 months ago. Now, he has been asked to show inspiration of a more complex kind, as captain of Sale.

Robinson will lead his club for the first time against Llanelli at Stradey Park this evening. He has been thrown in at the deep end, too. Sale, history as far as the Heineken Cup is concerned having lost all three of their pool matches to date, go in without a posse of front-line players – Bryan Redpath, Charl Marais, Stu Pinkerton, Pete Anglesea and Dean Schofield, to name but five – and are in danger of finding themselves on the wrong end of a serious walloping from hardened European campaigners who harbour realistic ambitions of a place in the knock-out phase.

Llanelli will also be short of a key figure in Salesi Finau, the Tongan wing, who suffered a knee injury during last week's marvellous 30-19 victory over the same opponents at Heywood Road. But they have real experience in reserve – Wayne Proctor, a seasoned international, has been given the nod for this one – and if they get it right in front of their own kind tonight, they will increase the pressure on the Frenchmen of Bourgoin, who currently top Pool Three.

Philippe Saint-André's side are also in action this evening. They face Glasgow at Hughenden, having scored five tries in winning last weekend's first meeting between the two teams. David Venditti, a high-class centre who struck Heineken gold with Brive in 1997, is likely to replace Glenn Davis in midfield, while the Italian prop Frederico Pucciariello is expected to take over from Olivier Milloud in the front row. For Glasgow, the excellent Test hooker Gordon Bulloch will complete a century of senior appearances.

Back in Wales, Llanelli and their professional peers – Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and the like – have a week to frame their definitive proposal for a re-shaping of the top-flight club game west of the Severn. Senior officials met with the Welsh Rugby Union yesterday, and although they rejected out of hand the WRU's blueprint for a four-team provincial format, they described the talks as amicable and wide-ranging. The two delegations will get together again on 19 December in an attempt to hammer out an agreement before the new year.

Meanwhile, a total of 41 players will be subjected to fitness test by the England management this weekend before hitting the West End for a seasonal night out. Eight of the 13 national academy members have been summoned – the exceptions include Henry Paul of Gloucester and, surprisingly, Oliver Smith of Leicester – along with 11 senior players who took no part in the victories over the southern hemisphere triumvirate.

* The Gloucester flanker Andy Hazell is doubtful for the Heineken Cup tie away to Perpignan tomorrow after injuring the same toe that kept him out for three months.