Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy has vowed to "fight tooth and nail" against his club's one-point deduction. Sale were docked a point by the Rugby Football Union because of an administrative error in failing to re-register Dave Ward after a loan spell with Manchester.

Ward went on as a substitute during Sale's 38-20 Guinness Premiership defeat against Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop last month.

Sharks go into tomorrow's final round of regular season action five points adrift of the play-off zone. As things currently stand, they will require a bonus-point victory over Edgeley Park visitors Northampton to have any chance of making the top-four, while also hoping other results work in their favour.

Kennedy said: "We will fight tooth and nail to have the point reinstated. Harlequins had won the match by the time Ward was introduced into the game, and this is the first time a penalty like this has been issued when a club took nothing from a game.

"Our appeal will be on behalf of the team, the club and the supporters, who may well, if we don't appeal, miss out on a trip to Twickenham for the (Premiership) final."