In-form Carpenter aims to advance England case by outshining Furbank

In-form Sale full-back Joe Carpenter admits part of him is focused on outshining Harlequins' George Furbank this weekend to advance his case for an England recall. In July, Carpenter extended his contract to stay with Sale until 2029 In-form Sale full-back Joe Carpenter admits part of him is focused on outshining Harlequins' George Furbank this weekend in an attempt to force his way back into the England reckoning. Only Exeter wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has beaten more defenders in the first two rounds of the Prem this season, as Carpenter has shown a keen attacking edge. Furbank was England's first-choice full-back this summer before an appendicitis sidelined him for last summer's Nations Championship, while Carpenter has not been involved in Steve Borthwick's set-up since winning his only Test cap in a 40-5 win over the United States in July 2025.

Their two sides meet at Sale's Corpacq Stadium on Sunday, with Quins looking for their first points of a miserable campaign so far. "Yeah I'd say so, in a certain aspect," said Carpenter when asked if the personal duel with Furbank was motivation. "Those boys [Harlequins] have just come off the back of a pretty big loss and they'll be emotionally spiked come this weekend. "So yeah it would be nice to have a very good performance against them and against