La Rochelle welcome two-time Challenge Cup winners Sale Sharks to the Stade Marcel-Deflandre for the first time as they seek their maiden European final for the club on Saturday evening. The English outfit, who were winners of the competition in 2002 and 2005, sealed their spot in the last four with a 20-10 success at home to Connacht Rugby, while La Rochelle defeated Bristol Bears 39-15 in their quarter-final fixture. You can watch live coverage from 17:30 BST on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS. Pool positions La Rochelle: 1st, Pool 4, 24 points Sale Sharks: 1st, Pool 3, 22 points Head-to-head record La Rochelle wins: First meeting Draw: First meeting Sale Sharks wins: First meeting 2018/19 points-scorers La Rochelle: Maxime Lafage (49), Ihaia West (46), Gregory Alldritt (20) Sale Sharks: Faf de Klerk (45), Chris Ashton (35), Bryon McGuigan (20), Will Cliff (20) https://twitter.com/ERChallengeCup/status/1117850195654365184 Key quotes

Steve Diamond (Sale Sharks): "They are a very good side and they are a massive team, playing in front of full house crowds every week and they are going to be a real handful. We’ve got to go and express ourselves and play rugby. We’ve got to get out the blocks and be aggressive off the line.

"The club hasn’t been to a final for many years so it would be a boost for the club. If we can get it right – and that’s what we will need to do on Saturday in a one-off game – who knows where we can go with it. "

Team news

England international Chris Ashton - who has crossed over for seven tries this campaign - and Australian centre James O'Connor both start for Sale while back-rower Tom Curry also returns from injury.
La Rochelle have named a back row Wiaan Liebenberg, Gregory Alldritt and Victor Vito while wing Vincent Rattez also keeps his place in the side.

Match stats

This will be the first time La Rochelle and Sale Sharks have met in European competition, although they’ve played a combined 202 games in the Challenge Cup and Heineken Champions Cup (La Rochelle – 59, Sale Sharks – 143).
La Rochelle have reached the semi-finals for the second time, losing at home to Gloucester in 2017.
Sale have reached the semi-final stage for the fourth time, beating Gloucester in 2002 and Connacht over two legs in 2005, before going on to lift the trophy in both seasons, however, they lost at this stage to Bath in 2008.
Sale have won twice in France this season, beating Perpignan and Bordeaux-Bègles in the pool stage, and scoring 91 points in the two matches.
La Rochelle have won 40/40 scrums on their own put-in this season, and they are the only side with a 100% success rate while they also have the second-best success rate at the lineout (92%).
Only Worcester Warriors (91%) have a better tackle success rate than Sale (88%).
11 of La Rochelle’s 37 tries this season have come after winning a turnover, more than any other side in the competition.
La Rochelle’s Romain Sazy has six lineout steals to his name and no player has won more opposition throws (Cameron Woki of Bordeaux-Bègles also 6).
La Rochelle’s Gregory Alldritt (69 carries, 60 tackles) and Sale’s Jono Ross (58 carries, 73 tackles) are two of just seven players to make 50+ carries and 50+ tackles in the Challenge Cup this season, and they are the only two of those seven to have reached the semi-finals.
Only Clermont’s Peter Betham (10) has more tries this season than Sale’s Chris Ashton (7, same as Northampton’s Alex Mitchell).