WASPS’ remarkable home record this season will be put on the line again on Sunday afternoon when Sale Sharks will become the eighth team to try and win at Adams Park.

The previous seven have all failed and, if recent form is to be believed, a Sharks team bottom of the Aviva Premiership shouldn’t pose too many problems.

But there is an ex factor to be considered.

Danny Cipriani emerged as the brightest talent in the English game during his time at Wasps, and while he hasn’t fulfiled that promise consistenly he has the ability to win games on his own when the mood takes him.

Sunday will be his first match at Adams Park since he left in 2010, and it’s not inconceivable to imagine him finding inspiration in the ground where he played his best rugby.

Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: “Sale are going to be desperate. I would have thought they’d have targeted this game as one of their away games that they’ve got to win. Any team around them they’re going to look to try and beat.

“They beat us quite convincingly home and away last season. We couldn’t handle their physicality and struggled to cope with some of their penetrating runners.

“Hopefully this season it will be different, but we’re not under-estimating Sale. They’re a quality team with quality players and it’s only a matter of time before they start winning. But we hope it’s a couple of weeks time.”

Wasps are eighth in the table, four places and 18 points better off than Sunday’s opponents.

With London Welsh away and Bath at home to follow, the black and golds could be significantly better placed by mid-January.

Young said: “Things can change very quickly. We’re going into a very important three games with Sale first at home and then London Welsh and Bath.

“If we can come away on the right end of results from those three then that will really put us in a position to kick on.”