Day says Diamond will have Sale fired up for Saints challenge

And the influential lock has warned his former club will be wound up to cause a big upset at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.

Steve Diamond’s side did Saints a big favour as they smashed top-four hopefuls Gloucester 32-9 at the Salford City Stadium.

That win was only their sixth of the season but it came as no shock to Day, who played for Sale for five years before leaving the club in 2007.

“Sale are a good team, particularly at home and I think they’ve underachieved this year,” said the 29-year-old. “They’re finally starting to show some form now.

“Gloucester have got a poor record on the road, apart from when they play against us, so it was no real surprise to us.”

Sale’s win left Gloucester five points adrift of fourth-placed Saints with two games to go, as Jim Mallinder’s men went on to claim victory at London Welsh on Sunday.

That result ensured Welsh were relegated, handing survival to the Sharks, but despite that Day is not expecting them to ease off on Saturday.

“Steve Diamond was my initial coach there so I know he’ll be winding them up this week, trying to get them some pride at the end of the season,” he said.

“They’re a quality team and they’ll be coming to upset the party at Franklin’s so we know we need to perform and hopefully we will do.”