Living in the shadow of Manchester United and Manchester City, it is not often that Sale Sharks find themselves topping the sporting bill. The one way they can be sure of becoming a headline act is to travel to France, as they will tomorrow in preparation for their opening Heineken Cup game against Clermont Auvergne on Saturday.

There, in the town of Clermont-Ferrand, Les Requins will receive plenty of attention, notably for Philippe Saint-Andre, their director of rugby, who used to captain their opponents when they were known as Montferrand, and especially for Sébastien Chabal, the cult hero of last year's World Cup in France.

“It is the big game of the weekend in France,” Saint-Andre said yesterday. “Rugby is the No1 sport in Montferrand and all the tickets for the game sold in one hour. I think more people know about Sale in France than in Manchester.”

The pool one match against Clermont presents Chabal, 30, with the chance to revive his international career. Under Marc Lièvremont, who succeeded Bernard Laporte as the France head coach last October, the No8 was not selected for this year's RBS Six Nations Championship.

He was recalled for the summer tour to Australia, when an understrength team were soundly beaten twice, but that was at lock, rather than his preferred position in the back row, where he has wreaked such havoc in the Guinness Premiership.

“He has a point to prove to people in France,” Saint-Andre said. “Two years ago, he played very well against Stade Français [in the Heineken Cup] and that won him a place in the World Cup squad. The Premiership is not on French TV much, so this is a fantastic opportunity for him to be picked in the November internationals.

“He must play well for the team, not play well for himself, but he can still play at international level. If he can produce two big performances against Clermont and Munster [at home on Sunday week] I think he can come back into the French team.”

In Carrington, where Sale train next door to Manchester City and down the road from United, there is little danger of Chabal being mobbed by adoring fans. But when Sale played in France last December, against Bayonne in the European Challenge Cup, he needed six security guards to leave the field and a private car to escape the stadium. Sale have checked whether such measures will be necessary at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin on Saturday and have been assured that appropriate security will be available.

On this occasion, the reception for Chabal could almost be matched by the welcome for Saint-Andre, who played on the wing for Montferrand for nine years until he joined Gloucester in 1996. He has been inundated this week with dinner invitations from former team-mates for club and country such as Olivier Merle and Philippe Marocco, not to mention Jean-Marc Lhermet, the former France flanker who is manager of Clermont, the runners-up in the Top 14 last season.

Before rugby turned professional, Saint-Andre also ran a popular bar, Le Gourmand, in Clermont-Ferrand and whenever he returns he is besieged by former patrons. “If I go back there, people always say, ‘I met my wife in your bar and we now have three children, it's all thanks to you,'” he said. “That was in the amateur days and everyone used to drink in my bar. It will be nice to be back, but only if I can win with Sale.”

Saint-Andre's plans have been hampered by a shoulder injury that will prevent Andrew Sheridan, the England prop, playing on Saturday, but he should be fit to face Munster.

David Strettle, the Harlequins wing, will miss England's November internationals after a recurrence of the metatarsal injury to his left foot that he has suffered twice before. Strettle does not need surgery but he is expected to be out for between five and seven weeks.