SALE will be aiming to throw a spanner in the works when the Big Red Machine rolls into Edgeley Park on Sunday.

They face their biggest challenge of the season so far when European champions Munster arrive for their clash in Heineken Cup’s ‘pool of death’.

One of the most feared teams in Europe, Munster have won the competition twice in the past three years and at times seem to be an almost unstoppable force.

But there are still chinks in the armour.

The Irishmen kicked off their Heieneken Cup campaign with a win last week but did so in wholly unconvincing fashion, scraping past pool one minnows Montauban 19-17 at home.

And Sale struck the first blow in the fight to escape the so-called pool of death when they sealed a stunning 32-15 win at French powerhouses Clermont-Auvergne, a result that has director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre in confident mood.

He said: “ I am delighted and very proud of all my players.

“(It was) the best performance since our win over Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership final in 2006.

“We played the complete game in both defence and attack and not many teams will score four tries against Clermont on Clermont’s own ground.”

“Munster are the Heineken Cup holders, they are the team we all aspire to beat,” he added.

“According to reports they did well to win against Montauban, but they did win and that’s all that matters.

“Munster will arrive at Edgeley Park fully prepared and ready for battle. The fans who attend the game next Sunday afternoon are in for a treat.”

Meanwhile, Munster coach Tony McGahan is wary of the challenge that faces his team.

He said: “To win like they did out there says it all really. I watched the game and I thought they competed extremely hard in defence and made the very most of their opportunities when they arose.

"Added to that win and their form in the league, they've won four from five and conceded just four tries, and it gives you and idea of the size of the task we face over there.

"But we knew before this competition kicked off that there would be no easy games, home or away, so nothing has changed in that respect. We'll be looking to give a good account of ourselves and see where that takes us."

McGahan was also quick to dismiss accusations of complacency which followed his side’s narrow win over Montauban.

"The question was asked during the week whether I thought we could get five points and I said that if the conditions were normal and we play to our ability, then the five points would be on offer," he said.

"It was a completely different answer to saying it was a five-point game. We were not far away either. We had maybe 10 or 12 line-breaks, most of those in the first half.

"If we had managed to convert a couple of them it would have been an easier night at the office. But it wasn't to be.

"We take nothing for granted. We don't get ahead of ourselves. We treat each team we play with huge respect."

But Sharks are suffering a Heineken hangover following last week’s win in Clermont-Ferrand.

Lee Thomas has been ruled out for three months after he dislocated his shoulder, while Kristian Ormsby and Rudi Keil were cited for incidents during the game.

Both will appear before an independent disciplinary committee in Dublin today, with Ormsby accused of punching Clermont Auvergne lock Julien Pierre and Keil facing charges for a dangerous tackle on Benoit Baby.