Ben Curry’s greatest ambition in rugby is to play alongside twin brother Tom in England’s back row.

Ben, Sale’s captain for their home Gallagher Premiership clash with Bath on Friday night, has won five caps but each of them have come when Tom has been on British and Irish Lions duty or injured.

The World Cup and its programme of warm-up fixtures could have seen his dream realised only for hamstring surgery to rule him out of the tournament in France.

“The day I can’t play for England with Tom I would seriously consider my options because that’s one of the biggest things that motivates me,” Ben said.
“I’ve done it myself, by myself, but I want to do it with Tom. You talk about what are your goals for your career and that’s something that’s a goal of mine.”

The likelihood of Ben adding to his five caps in the Six Nations has increased after Tom was earlier this week ruled out for the rest of the season by hip surgery.

The identical twins live together near the AJ Bell Stadium and Tom’s setback will result in changes at home – once help has been sought from Sale fly-half George Ford.

“When I had my injury, Fordy knew someone who put me up in a hotel for two nights. I was in the night before and then the night after (the operation),” Ben said.

“So the first thing I told Tom was to text Fordy and get a hotel for two nights! You’ve just had surgery and you are lying in a hotel room with everyone doing stuff for you.

“On the back of that we are going to have to change rooms. We still live together, and he’s on the top floor and I’m on the second floor, so we might have to change rooms.

“I’m probably going to have to do a bit of stuff to help out, unfortunately!

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“The only bit of advice I’d give to him is to take the first few weeks to recover, not just physically but mentally.

“Take it for what it is, take your time away from the game so that when you come back, you properly go after it.

“It’s a good opportunity to get better, bigger, stronger, faster – all of those cliches.

“You’ve got five months at it, so it can make a difference to how he plays and also his longevity as well if he gets it right.”

Saracens absorbed the loss of three England stars to put Harlequins to the sword in a 38-10 Gallagher Premiership victory at The Stoop.

Ben Earl and Elliot Daly were lost to respective knee and hamstring injuries during the warm-up and just seconds into the game Alex Lozowski was forced off after twisting awkwardly when chasing down Marcus Smith.

The champions took the disruption in their stride, however, as they amassed six tries in a London derby that lacked the spite seen in recent years, with Harlequins far too submissive against the league’s best side.

Both teams’ World Cup players were on parade and it was Maro Itoje who stood out among them, the lock catching the eye with a couple of big runs but also proving a handful at close quarters.

Marcus Smith and Alex Dombrandt did little to impress England head coach Steve Borthwick, who was watching from the stands, but the fault for a meek Harlequins performance was hardly theirs alone.

Saracens’ pack was typically menacing from start to finish and they supplied the opening try as part of a frantic opening with the excellent Juan Martin Gonzalez driving over from short range.

The champions frequently shuttled the ball across the field and with some success, forcing Quins to scramble out wide.

When the home ruck defence had gone missing near the centre of the pitch, Saracens reacted in a flash with Andy Christie stampeding into space only for the supporting Ivan van Zyl to cut an awkward supporting line.

Quins were breached too easily again on the half-hour mark when a counter attack launched by Alex Goode was given legs by Itoje and a phase later Olly Hartley had barged over.

A line-out drive finished by Jamie George provided Saracens’ next try as the hosts continued to be overpowered up front and as they trudged off for half-time 19-3 behind, there was no obvious way back.

Their outlook continued to deteriorate as Christie added a maul try soon after the interval, registering the bonus point, but only once Itoje had staged a marauding run.

Smith was trying his best to inspire a revival, on one occasion using his footwork to weave into space, and it took a try-saving tackle from Alex Lewington to stop Quins from scoring.

Pressure was building on the Saracens line but they weathered the storm, advanced downfield and used a mixture of forward power and polished back play to cross through Tom Parton.

Lewington and Andre Esterhuizen exchanged tries and Saracens could have plundered one more late on but Tom Willis spilt the ball forward over the line following fine approach work by Gonzalez.

Exeter Chiefs inflicted a record top-flight defeat on defending Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens as they ran amok at Sandy Park.

Rob Baxter’s side were in scintillating form, running in 11 tries including a hat-trick for Josh Hodge as they won 65-10.

In a dominant display from start to finish, Saracens simply had no answer to the power, pace and precision of the Devonians – who bagged a bonus point by the 16th minute and led 41-0 at half-time.

Handed what seemed a tough assignment in the season curtain-raiser, the new and youthful Chiefs were quickly into their attacking stride and scored in the first minute, winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso finishing off a slick home attack when he raced onto an audacious pass from Harvey Skinner down the right flank.

Moments later and with Sarries skipper Alex Lozowski in the sin-bin, the Chiefs struck again, number eight Greg Fisilau attaching himself to the back of a close-range line-out to double the lead.

Saracens were seemingly all at sea, struggling to contain the relentless waves of Exeter attacks. Debutant Ethan Roots bagged a third try, picking up from a few metres out, before Tom Hendrickson brought up the bonus point when he was given the pass from Henry Slade, who had latched onto a clever chip over the top from Tom Cairns.

England international Slade then got in on the try-scoring act himself, picking off a pass in midfield to race clear from halfway and extend his side’s lead to 29-0.

There was no let-up from Baxter’s side as they headed towards the break, Hodge helping himself to a quickfire double – the second after breaking four tackles on the end of a scintillating cross-field move.

The break could not have come at a better time for Saracens and they used the respite as the opportunity to not only regroup, but fathom out a new game plan for the second half.

Whatever was said, it initially had the desired effect as replacement Andy Christie and Alex Lewington combined nicely to send Olly Hartley cantering down the left wing for the score.

It was the spark Saracens had craved, but the Chiefs were soon back on the offensive themselves. Fisilau was held up on the line but Hodge soon claimed his hat-trick score with a jet-propelled burst from deep inside his own half.

Not content with that, the Chiefs continued to pile forward in numbers, bullying Saracens into submission with a brutal assault from all angles. The home pack did much of the donkey work, easing them to within sight of the line, the fruits of which were finished off by Rus Tuima.

To their credit, Saracens refused to throw in the towel, picking themselves off the floor to land a late blow of their own through Scotland international Sean Maitland. It was, however, a little too late in the grand scheme of things.

Indeed, it was the home side who would put the shine on a polished performance, bagging two more tries in the dying embers through replacements Ross Vintcent and Niall Armstrong.

Bristol will host Leicester to kick off the new Gallagher Premiership season on Friday, October 13 before champions Saracens start the defence of their title with a trip to Exeter.

After Wasps, Worcester and London Irish all entered administration while Championship winners Jersey Reds did not meet the minimum standards criteria for promotion, the new top-flight campaign will feature just 10 teams.

The revamped schedule for the 2023-24 campaign gives all clubs one home fixture in the opening two weeks of the season.

After Saturday’s 1.30pm kick-off at Exeter’s Sandy Park, Bath host Newcastle at 3pm while Harlequins will travel to Gloucester.

To complete the opening weekend’s action, Sale – beaten by Saracens in the Premiership final at Twickenham – will welcome Northampton on October 15, which will also be broadcast live on TNT Sports.

The Premiership final is set to take place on June 8 at Twickenham.

There will be a ‘Derby Weekend’ in round six from November 17 to 19, which will see Sale play Newcastle and Bath host Bristol on the Friday night.

The action on the Saturday sees Northampton travel to Leicester with Saracens at London rivals Harlequins. Both matches will be shown live ahead of Exeter playing Gloucester on the Sunday afternoon.

Clubs will also have one home fixture over the Christmas period, which it is hoped will allow families to enjoy games together.

December 30 will see Harlequins’ ‘Big Game’ series back in the festive schedule when they take on Gloucester at Twickenham.

Following a break of league action during the Guinness Six Nations, Saracens play Harlequins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March before Northampton face Quins back at Twickenham during round 16 in April.

As well as the live schedule on TNT Sports, which has been announced through until January 2024, there will be highlights of all 90 regular-season games on ITV along with seven full free-to-air fixtures and the Premiership final.

Premiership Rugby chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor said: “Today is always an exciting day in the sporting calendar and I know that our dedicated Gallagher Premiership Rugby fans, players and clubs are counting down until the big kick-off.

“It’s great to welcome our new-look broadcast partner TNT Sports in their debut season under their new brand and we look forward to delivering unmissable world-class sporting entertainment together.”

::Opening Premiership fixtures: October 13 – Bristol v Leicester (7.45pm, TNT Sports); October 14 – Exeter v Saracens (1.30pm, TNT Sports), Bath v Newcastle (3pm), Gloucester v Harlequins (3pm); October 15 – Sale v Northampton (1.30pm, TNT Sports)

London Irish could be the latest victims of the financial crisis gripping the Gallagher Premiership.

Here the PA news agency looks at the clubs most affected by the grim outlook.

GONE:

Worcester

The first club placed into administration back in September, Worcester’s future is still uncertain despite being taken over by Jim O’Toole’s Atlas Group.
Entrance into the second tier Championship has been blocked by the Rugby Football Union for their failure to meet certain conditions and their plan of joining with Stourbridge and relaunching in the fifth tier appears dead in the water.

Wasps

The month after Worcester folded, Wasps followed them into administration as the league suffered the crushing blow of losing one of English rugby’s most famous brands. Further misery was to come as having targeted rebirth in the Championship, the failure to meet certain conditions forced the RFU to revoke their license and demote them to the foot of the rugby pyramid.

TEETERING:

London Irish

Burdened by debts of around £30million and with an owner desperate to sell in Mick Crossan, London Irish are shaping up to become the next club to be removed from the Premiership. All staff must be paid today for the month of May for Irish to be granted a deadline extension for their proposed takeover by an American consortium. The clock is ticking.

SHAKY FOUNDATIONS:

Leicester

Leicester needed an emergency cash injection of £13million from directors Peter Tom and Tom Scott in to address what chief executive Andrea Pinchen described as “very challenging conditions”. A letter from the club to shareholders sent in March stated that if the funding was not approved, there would be no option but to appoint administrators.

Exeter

Even Exeter, one of the few clubs in the pre-pandemic era to operate at a profit, were forced to take special measures in December. Chiefs owner Tony Rowe bought a stake in a hotel owned by the club in order for it to service its debts, including Covid loans issued by the Government. Rowe’s intervention has sured up the finances for the time being.

London Irish must pay all staff for May in full today or be withdrawn from the Gallagher Premiership.

The Rugby Football Union said it is giving owner Mick Crossan the chance to meet payroll as scheduled today or the offer of a deadline extension to complete a takeover will be withdrawn.

An American consortium is in discussions to take control of the club but has yet provide proof of funds to the RFU, as well as other documentation needed for the purchase to be approved.

“The RFU club financial viability group met yesterday evening. It noted the conditions set by the RFU had not been met and considered the application for an extension to the deadline,” an RFU statement on Wednesday morning read.

“It was agreed to defer the decision for 24 hours to establish if the club is able to honour the commitment it has made to staff that they will be paid for the month of May. The group will meet again this evening.”

Two men have been charged in connection with protest activity during the Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham on Saturday.

The Metropolitan Police said that Samuel Johnson, 40, of Reydon, Suffolk, and Patrick Hart, 37, of Brislington, Bristol, were charged with aggravated trespass.

The Just Stop Oil protesters invaded the pitch midway through the first half of the match between Saracens and Sale, throwing orange paint powder on to the field.

The duo were escorted out of the stadium by stewards and the game continued, with Saracens going on to win 35-25.

A statement from Commander Kyle Gordon, of the Met, read: “To date we have seen 102 slow marches across London by Just Stop Oil that has caused serious disruption and frustration to those going about their business in the city leading to 51 arrests to date.

“Similarly, yesterday’s incident at the rugby final will have caused frustration to both the players and spectators alike.

“With many other events taking place, and visitors in our capital this weekend, we will continue to monitor and respond to such incidents quickly.

“Where protest moves into criminality or serious disruption, we will take robust action to ensure Londoners and visitors alike can continue to enjoy their Bank Holiday weekend.”

Saracens and Sale will wear their away kits in the Gallagher Premiership final to avoid a clash for colour-blind supporters.

As top seeds, Saracens would have worn their black home strip, with Sale in their away attire of red and maroon.

But a colour combination of black and red is among those highlighted by Colour Blind Awareness as a kit clash to avoid.

Saracens will now wear white, with Sale in maroon, offering a clear colour contrast for spectators at Twickenham on May 27 and the television audience.

“We are delighted that Premiership Rugby and the clubs have taken positive steps to avoid kit clash situations for colour-blind fans and players,” Kathryn Albany-Ward, chief executive of Colour Blind Awareness, said.

“Bearing in mind the significant number of colour-blind people (one in 12 men and one in 200 women) who watch and play rugby, it is important that the accessibility needs of these groups are recognised to enable all fans of the sport to have a positive viewing experience that isn’t limited by avoidable colour clashes.”

Premiership Rugby’s head of broadcast Ollie Lewis added: “Our clubs have been overwhelmingly supportive of our ambition to eliminate kit clashes, with a collective desire to increase inclusivity of our sport to all audiences.

“There is no better example than the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final to highlight the importance of this issue, and we look forward to continuing to work with Colour Blind Awareness to ensure that we continue to make our league as inclusive and accessible as it can be.”

London Irish could be suspended from the Gallagher Premiership as speculation continues to rage about their future amid a possible takeover by an American consortium.

The Rugby Football Union says that, along with Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Players’ Association, it is “seeking to take action to obtain greater clarity on the future of London Irish”.

The RFU said: “The proposed takeover of London Irish by an American consortium has led to a significant amount of uncertainty and speculation about the future of the club, which is having an impact on players, staff and fans of the club.

“It is imperative that the club will be in a position to take its place in the Gallagher Premiership in season 2023-24 and to complete that season.”

A deadline of May 30 has now been set by the RFU in what is an increasingly grim saga, with Irish having reported debts of £30milliom.

By that time, a takeover of the club must have been completed and approved by the RFU, with the buyers undertaking to provide all required working capital to meet the club’s obligations for at least next season, or the club showing that it will continue to be funded to operate throughout next season.

The RFU added: “If the club fails to meet these conditions, it will be suspended from participating in the Premiership (and other competitions) in season 2023-24 to avoid a scenario where the club enters insolvency mid-season, with the corresponding and substantial impact that has on players, staff and fans, as well as on the remainder of the league.

“This deadline was set to give enough time for the buyers to provide the information needed and for the transaction to complete.”

Wasps and Worcester entered administration earlier this season, resulting in their expulsion from the Premiership.

It meant the Premiership dropping to 11 clubs, with the most fraught campaign in English domestic rugby history reaching its conclusion on May 27 when Saracens and Sale Sharks contest the final at Twickenham.

Irish, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on a place in the title play-offs, finishing fifth, three points behind Northampton.

Alex Sanderson has described Sunday’s play-off clash against Leicester as “a game of grand magnitude” as Sale Sharks target a first Gallagher Premiership final appearance since 2006.

Sale beat Leicester 45-20 at Twickenham 17 years ago, helped on their way by 23 points from fly-half Charlie Hodgson, while captain Jason Robinson became the first player to win Grand Finals in both rugby codes.

The Sharks have featured in just one play-off occasion since that season, though, shipping 40 points against Exeter in 2021.

Standing in Sale’s way at a sold-out AJ Bell Stadium this weekend and a return to English rugby headquarters are the reigning Premiership champions.

When the clubs last met in Greater Manchester Sale ran out 40-5 winners, while Sharks finished second behind Saracens across the regular domestic season.

“Thankfully, this isn’t our first rodeo of recent times with this group,” Sale rugby director Sanderson said.

“We have learnt from two years ago how to manage these kind of moments better.

“It is a game of grand magnitude which we are looking to enjoy and embrace, not to be overwhelmed by. That is the challenge.

“Our excitement exists within this bubble. You don’t want to talk about the further reach because it can become overwhelming, as it did two years ago.

“You have to stick to process while being aware of the buzz around. It has been really, really busy around the ground and there is lots going on this weekend.

“We feel the support more than we ever have done. We have just got to come back to what has been working well for us, which is communicating well and training hard.”

It is difficult to under-estimate the drive that Sale have taken from their play-off loss against Exeter two years ago.

Had they beaten the Chiefs – also in Devon – during the final round of regular-season action a week earlier, then it could have secured a home semi-final.

Sanderson added: “We have been working towards it and building for this for two years, certainly since a year last Christmas when we realised we had a lot of work to do as an organisation.

“Since then, we have looked at how we can give ourselves these kind of opportunities.

“Now we are here, it feels like we have earned it. It’s less of a fairy-tale and there is less emotion around this occurrence than there was two years ago.

“We have referred back to the players, in particular seven or eight of them who have won the big trophies in the past, and how they have managed these weeks, how we can manage these moments better.

“It is a general understanding of how we deal with it, make sure it doesn’t change us, but be aware that it is there.”