Sale Sharks winger Mark Cueto is looking forward to today’s trip to face London Welsh at the Kassam stadium for more reasons than one.
 

The Sharks have played twice at the Kassam in the past 11 years and on each occasion lifted the European Challenge Cup in 2002 and 2005.
 

The first of those triumphs saw the club make history by winning their first piece of major silverware in their then 141 year existence.
 

Former England star Cueto  created his own piece of history last Friday when his second half try – his 76th – beat Steve Hanley’s  Premiership record, which has stood for nine years.

“Both of those finals were special,” he said this week.

“The win over Pontypridd was at the end of my first season at the club and the second win against Pau was just before I travelled with the Lions to New Zealand.”
 

The Sharks, who have won their last three games, have recovered from a dreadful start to the campaign to be only five points adrift of Premiership safety after last Friday’s 21-16 home win over Exeter Chiefs.
 

Welsh crashed 28-12 at Leicester Tigers last week and are only six points above Sunday’s visitors, leaving both team’s targeting the clash as a must-win game.

“If we can forget about what happened in the first part of this season we’ve got to take belief from those three consecutive wins to our game at the Kassam,” said Cueto.
 

“It won’t be easy though as Welsh are not a bad side and will, like us be targeting this as a must-win game.”
 

Welsh head coach Lyn Jones added: “You’ve got a bunch of fellas giving 100 per cent and that’s all you can ask.
 

“Everyone is fighting for their livelihoods and that’s the way it should be.”