Alex Sanderson: Sale’s character can counteract ‘lightning bolts’ from Racing 92

Alex Sanderson recognises Sale will be underdogs against Racing 92 but hopes the Sharks’ character can counteract the “lightning bolts” that could be thrown at them this weekend.

Sale edged out Gallagher Premiership rivals Bristol over two nip-and-tuck legs to reach the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals, where a trip to highly-fancied Racing on Sunday afternoon awaits.

Racing have reached the final of Europe’s elite club competition in three of the last six seasons and boast a star-studded line-up with several France internationals and Scotland fly-half Finn Russell.

The Top 14 club have stuttered in the knockout rounds in the past but – while Sanderson is braced for their might – he insisted Sale thrive under pressure and has tipped them do so again in Paris.

“Character, fortunately for me, this team have in abundance,” Sale’s director of rugby said. “Our chance to be able to show who we are in terms of our character is something that’s highly motivating.

“They’ve shown their best qualities and played some of their best rugby when they’ve had their backs against the wall and gone into a hostile environment where we’re the underdogs. It’s the same again.

Our ability to stay in the fight, despite what they throw at us, is going to be key and not the other way around- Alex Sanderson

“I don’t think Racing are the type of team that crumble – you don’t get them at this stage of the competition. You’ll get out of them in the 80th minute what you get out of them in the first.

“It’s down to your own resilience and resolve. Are you able to handle one of those lightning bolts they’re able to chuck, this team, when it could be against the run of play or totally out of the blue?

“How are you going to react to that? That’s the