CHALLENGE OF PLAYING LEINSTER
“They have cohesion, they are super smart and there are no chinks in their armour. They are probably the best team at keeping the ball in attack. They probably have a point to prove on the European stage after the World Cup as they are essentially the Ireland team. They have got the mentality, competence and cohesion that you would want to take on the Champions Cup and they are probably the favourites for it at the moment.
“They were still pretty good last season even when they didn’t have Johnny Sexton available. Ciaran Frawley has been going great guns for them and he is probably their second choice fly-half. Second receiver in Garry Ringrose, James Lowe steps in their as well. There are lots of players who can pull the trigger in that back-line. They have got an international forward pack with some big ball-carriers. They have a really competent set-piece, although not dominant. It will be different to Stade."
BRUISING GAME AGAINST STADE
“It was a crazy start. Sometimes when it starts like that it can go one of two ways. The players showed where their mentality was at this week compared to last week where nothing fazed them. They stayed energised throughout the whole game so it was really rewarding. But the challenge is there to prove that is growth not a reaction.”
MANU TUILAGI
“Always a case of managing the more senior players with a history of injuries particularly those of an explosive nature who are more susceptible to soft tissue injuries. That is always a consideration with him but for anyone on a six-day turnaround at what is nearing international intensity. They don’t play internationals with this kind of turnaround so that is something to consider going into the weekend.
“International rugby plays quite a big part in contract negotiations. I spoke with him today (Wednesday) in the corridor. He catches wind of what comes out in the press and I never want to talk about him out of context. It is never a problem with Manu but he is still a human and respect his feelings and how he portrays himself to the wider public. He was brilliant at the weekend and I asked him when he wanted to go for that steak. It is probably going to be in the New Year with the short turnarounds and Christmas on the horizon. At New Year we are going to sit down and talk quite seriously about next year. He spoke last week with Steve Borthwick and he is desperate to keep playing international rugby. Players with that drive show you where they are at and he still has aspirations to play at the highest level. It is dead exciting to spend another year with Manu, one of my favourite people. I hope it comes to fruit.
“Coming in and out of the international environment is difficult. But it is not phasing Manu. He comes back in and he is just as bouncy. He doesn’t read too much of the press. The consistent commitment is the first thing that goes and he doesn’t find changing environments tough.”
BEN BAMBER
“His ceiling is possible international standard. He is nowhere near that yet. It was probably his 30th game of rugby union. He has put on a stone of weight, taken 50 seconds off his bronco within a year. He has just put on 3kg of lean muscle mass, no fat, from the start of the season. He can probably carry another 5kgs on his 6ft 8 frame and he moves well with it. Once he gets to learn the dark arts of the set-piece because he hasn’t had that foundation coming from a rugby league background, who knows. I have big aspirations for Ben and that is why we have re-signed him for a few years to keep him on our books. He loves it here and he wanted to get it done. He is part of that young crop with the Currys, Harper, Roebuck, Reed, Carpenter, Rodd, Quirke, Warr you could see as a core group that could be here six/ seven years.”
ASHER OPOKU-FORDJOUR
“We had Tom Harrison, England scrum coach, down today (Wednesday) watching training and I had a chat with him about Asher playing both sides of the scrum. He is that young you don’t want to put him in the pigeon hole of being a loosehead or a tighthead. There are no props that we can think of who are doing it successfully. They are those of are trying it like Thomas du Toit. It took them too long to transition from one side to the other. He has the ability to play very well at both. But as I said to Tom today there are quite a lot of mobile looseheads out there which is an easier position to get technically good at. You can be a bit lighter, mobile, faster. There are very few tightheads who are able to have that explosive quality that Asher has and being able to scrum. He could be a very good loosehead, I think he could be an exceptional tighthead if we get elements of his technical ability and an extra 5kgs on him.”
INJURY UPDATE
Dan du Preez- low grade 2 MCL, best one for knee injuries, three to four weeks, come back to some of his form recently, back for second half of Champions Cup pool stages, will be fresh going into break for Six Nations and out of it
Simon McIntyre- meniscal tear, probably doesn’t need an operation, four weeks
Tom O’Flaherty- right at the end of the game, high grade four hamstring injury, back after the Six Nations
Jean-Luc du Preez- back and up for selection
Bevan Rodd- very close, not quite ready this week, should be good to go next week, working through his range of movements
CONTRACT NEWS
George Ford- he has option on clause for next season, he is very happy and wants to continue at Sale, not official yet but it will become official
Cobus Wiese- someone we really want to keep but future up in the air
Gus Warr- negotiations on a new contract going really well
OTHER NEWS
Not much wrong with the first-half performance against Stade, few people got knee capitated (which is a medical term!), on another day Tom Roebuck scores his try and Joe Carpenter scores his, three disallowed tries against Stade in the first half, looking to be more clinical but was pleased with intensity of first half against Stade
Continue to look to get better, especially this weekend against Leinster
Ross Harrison’s performance against Stade was probably his best in a long time, got ‘Beast of the Week’ for his defensive performance
Recruitment meeting next Tuesday
Leinster will play the same way even with a few key players out injured, shown great consistency over the years
Because of salary cap the ability to compete is not affected as was proven last weekend against Stade but the ability to compete consistently in the Champions Cup is affected
Will go full bore at Leinster this weekend with the three caveats of fatigue, injury and illness
Thanks again Kieran. 😎. great work.