WASPS will make special plans to combat the threat of their former fly half Danny Cipriani when they take on Sale at the AJ Bell Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Sale are down in tenth with one win from four games, but they are better than those results suggest and in a revitalised Cipriani they have one of the Premiership’s most dangerous weapons.

Director of rugby Dai Young said: “Everybody recognised from a very early age what a talent he is. Since he left Wasps the big thing was consistency, but I think he’s answered that question over the last 15 months.

“He’s the captain of the ship there, the orchestrator of everything they do and a real threat himself, his kicking game has been really good and he runs the backs well.

“He’s someone we’re going to have to mark very closely.

“You’ve got to talk about him and be very respectful of what he can do. He’s someone you have to be aware of. He’s always looking to do something different and he’s capable of it.

“I thought he was outstanding against us last season. He was difference and pretty much won the game for them with a bit of magic at the end.

“But you can’t take your eyes of the other players as well. They’ve got other weapons and are certainly not a one-man team.”

Sale pipped Wasps to sixth spot in the Aviva Premiership last season, but with the likes of Rob Miller and James Gaskell moving south in the summer, the black and golds hope to pass Sale on the way up this season.

Young said: “If we want to be up in the top six these are teams we have to beat.

“They’ve had the wood over us in the last couple of seasons. They were in the top six last season and that was built on solid home form and being very difficult to beat away.

“We know how difficult it’s going to be, but this is a massive game for us.

“You want to cement yourself in the top six after phase one of the Premiership, just before Europe, and if we go and win against Sale I think we’ve got a good chance of being in the top six immaterial of what happens against Bath the week after that.