Sale Sharks host La Rochelle in the Heineken Champions Cup this weekend, just seven months after the French club defeated the English side 24-20 in their 2019 Challenge Cup semi-final at Stade Marcel-Deflandre. Both sides were beaten in their season openers last weekend by Glasgow Warriors and Exeter Chiefs respectively and will look to get back on track on Sunday, with the match live on BT Sport and beIN SPORTS from 13:00 GMT. Key quotes Steve Diamond (Sale): "We played them in the semi-final last year in the Challenge Cup. [It was] a fantastic occasion, a fantastic environment at La Rochelle, narrowly beaten in the end but again, big pack of forwards, we’ve got a big pack of forwards. It will be more attritional than our first game, I think, but we fancy our chances against anybody in Manchester." Romain Sazy (La Rochelle): [On Ronan O'Gara] "Quite simply, he brings his experience of winning things. He’s someone who has experienced big moments, he’s got his hands on almost every trophy, and the experience he had at Munster [Rugby] and with the Irish national team is extraordinary. Above all, he’s a winner and that’s his strength. Besides that, he’s very good technically, but it’s going very well with him on a personal level, too." https://twitter.com/ChampionsCup/status/1197229626529140736 Key facts

The only previous meeting between Sale Sharks and La Rochelle in European competition was in last season’s Challenge Cup semi-final with the TOP 14 club winning 24-20.
Sale Sharks picked up a win in their last home Heineken Champions Cup match (v Scarlets), ending a seven-game losing streak in such fixtures.
La Rochelle have lost three of their last four Heineken Champions Cup pool games, this after winning their initial three games during their debut season in 2017/18.
Sale last won against TOP 14 opposition in the Heineken Champions Cup in 2008/09 when they secured victory at home against ASM Clermont Auvergne, however, they’ve lost each of their 10 such matches since then.
La Rochelle have won two of their last three away games against Gallagher Premiership opposition in European competition, this after winning one of their initial eight such matches (D1, L6).
Sale and La Rochelle were both kept scoreless in the first half last weekend. Sale, however, were one of just two teams to not concede a second-half point.
La Rochelle completed 91% of their tackles against Exeter Chiefs, and only Munster (95%) recorded a better success rate in Round 1.