Sale Sharks host Gloucester Rugby at the CorqAcq Stadium on Sunday in Round Three of the 2025/26 PREM Rugby CupJosh Hathaway of Gloucester Rugby celebrates scoring his team’s second try (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Wales international winger Josh Hathway has returned from injury to add some star-dust to Gloucester Rugby’s squad ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sale Sharks in Round Three of the PREM Rugby Cup.

Hathaway, still just 22, will make his first appearance of the season having suffered an ankle injury in pre-season. He is one of three senior backs in the squad along with George Barton at fly-half and Jake Morris at full-back.

Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington has named a young pack for the trip to the CorpAcq Stadium with flanker Harry Taylor captaining the side. Summer signing Will Trenholm starts at number eight.

Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson has also made wholesale changes to the side that was beaten 36-35 away at Leicester Tigers in the Gallagher PREM last weekend, making 13 changes with only flanker Tristan Woodman and prop James Harper remaining.

Looking ahead to the game, Gloucester forwards coach Trevor Woodman said: “It hasn’t been the best five weeks in the PREM and the frustrations around that are felt internally massively, and we know we’ve got a lot to do to improve it when we come back to the league

“For the Prem Cup it’s an opportunity again for the youngsters and there’s a good mix actually in terms of there’s a couple of boys coming back from injury getting some game time so they should be in a strong position hopefully for the end of November.

“It’s obviously an opportunity for the young guys that are in that academy, who have been off playing BUCs rugby and so forth, doing their bits in the university and the college. It’s about getting them connected, getting them back in the building and getting them back in a cherry and white shirt and getting them out there on Sunday.”

Sale Sharks: 15. Ollie Davies, 14. Obi Ene, 13. Osian Roberts, 12. Toby Wilson, 11. Alex Wills, 10. Tom Curtis, 9. Dom Hanson, 8. Jos Gilmore, 7. Tristan Woodman, 6. Seb Kelly, 5. Tom Burrow ©, 4. Patrick Hogg, 3. James Harper, 2. Ethan Caine, 1. Tumy Onasanya.

Replacements: 16. Alfie Longstaff, 17. Ralph McEachran, 18. Patreece Bell, 19. Dylan Hodkinson, 20. Huw Davies, 21. Nye Thomas, 22. Albert Bradshaw, 23. Reuben Logan.

Gloucester Rugby: 15 Jake Morris. 14 Josh Hathaway, 13 Will Knight, 12 Max Knight, 11 Jack Cotgreave, 10 George Barton, 9 Mikey Austin, 1 Archie McArthur, 2 Kealan Freeman-Price, 3 Harry Wright, 4 Freddie Stevens, 5 Deian Gwynne, 6 Caio James, 7 Harry Taylor (C), 8 Will Trenholm.

Replacements: 16 Kealan Freeman-Price, 17 George Alexander, 18 Ollie Minnis, 19 Olly Allport, 20 Jack Gilbert, 21 Rhys Price, 22 Will Butler, 23 Jake Morris.

Referee: Sara Cox

Assistant referees: Jamie Parr and Jamie Leahy