Sale have signed South Africa scrum-half Embrose Papier on a three-month loan as World Cup cover for compatriot Faf de Klerk.
The 22-year-old plays for the Pretoria-based Bulls franchise in Super Rugby, making 23 appearances so far.
Papier made his South Africa debut against Wales in Washington DC in June 2018 and won his most recent cap in a 20-11 defeat in Cardiff last November.
He narrowly missed out on a place in the Springboks’ World Cup squad.
“Embrose is a fantastic livewire scrum-half with a similar playing style to Faf De Klerk,” Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond told the club website.
“His running, distribution and kicking skills are top class and he comes highly recommended to us from a number of our South African players.”
He is the ninth South African in the current Sale squad, although only de Klerk was selected for the World Cup in Japan.
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Boks team for their game against NZ:
15. Willie le Roux (Wasps, England), 56 caps – 60 points (12 tries)
14. Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), 10 – 25 (5t)
13. Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), 9 – 5 (1t)
12. Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), 40 – 20 (4t)
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks), 8 – 40 (8t)
10. Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), 42 – 388 (6t, 65c, 73p, 3d)
9. Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), 25 – 15 (3t)
8. Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Bulls), 49 – 15 (3t)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), 50 – 20 (4t)
6. Siya Kolisi (captain, DHL Stormers), 43 – 25 (5t)
5. Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), 32 – 5 (1t)
4. Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), 79 – 15 (3t)
3. Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), 32 – 0
2. Malcolm Marx (Emirates Lions), 27 – 20 (4t)
1. Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), 40 – 5 (1t)
Replacements:
16. Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), 30 – 20 (4t)
17. Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), 111 – 10 (2t)
18. Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls), 41 – 5 (1t)
19. RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls), 16 – 0
20. Francois Louw (Bath, England), 69 – 45 (9t)
21. Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), 4 – 20 (4t)
22. Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France), 61 – 136 (10t, 7c, 21p, 3d)
23. Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), 45 – 60 (12t)