ALEX SANDERSON MEDIA SESSION 6/5/25

THE RUN-IN

“They all feel big but the next one is the biggest one. I know it sounds cliché but it is. Any team with aspirations of a home semi-final have to win this weekend. We have those aspirations. We have looked back at the run-in last year and taken confidence from the fact that we know we can. But the challenge the year after you cannot lean on the performances, only the experience. The game and team has moved on. I think we are playing better rugby now than a year ago. We have to keep everyone fit and on form. We have been pushing this week to strive to get better.

“Every game feels like a final. The challenge is not talking them down, it is getting them to push the button another five times without it being too emotionally draining. That is a feel thing during the week. I enjoy these 10-day turnarounds. We [Sale and Leicester] are the two in-form teams, it is a sell-out crowd with a home semi-final up for grabs. You would have to have your head underground not to understand the importance and gravitas of this game so we do not need to spell it out.”

LIONS SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT ON THURSDAY

“On Thursday we are on the bus down to Leicester so we will revel and commiserate in equal measure depending on who gets selected and who misses out. Dealing and handling selection is something they have had to deal with for a long time. We have routinely developed them in terms of growth mindset, to see it not as a setback but as an opportunity to improve. It is an opportunity to get better rather than take away. There is nothing I can do to influence it I believe. There is nothing the players can do in terms of worry that is going to make any influence. As much as we can we acknowledge it but dismiss it as white noise as it is all a distraction.

“What we know of the Lions is they take in-form, robust players. They take versatile players which can lean into players who can play across multiple positions. And they always go for some wildcards so from a really biased point of view I would like to think that Asher Opoku-Fordjour would have a shout. As will someone like Henry Pollock probably. When you talk about in-form robust players, you cannot look much further than Tom Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie and George Ford within our ranks. I have maybe picked up on it [thinking about Lions selection] here and there but it has not come up in discussions with individuals.”

TAPPING INTO EMOTION OF RETIRING/ LEAVING PLAYERS

“It is all about timing. I am not callous enough to use people’s relationships as a weapon but more of an awareness of higher motivation. We place a lot of emphasis on friendships, rapport, communication which lead to cohesion. When you do these things [saying goodbye to retiring/ leaving players] they are emotive, you have to be intentional about when you do them in the week, when you give them time in meetings so that the lads are able to say what they feel about the players they have played with and vice versa. That is why we do it as we do it for everyone who moves on because they are all worthy of thanks. It is on the radar and this is the time you have to do it in terms of time constraints. We are an emotive team. I would rather have too much than too little.”

THE IMPACT OF THE CURRYS SIGNING NEW CONTRACTS

“I have no problem waxing-lyrical, as I have done on many occasions, about these two. Their growth as well. They were very good when I came, I think Tom was a Lion and they both had England caps, but they are now both well-established England players and up for Lions selection. One has been our captain for the last couple of years and the other does all but the same without the armband. The ability to consistently drive training is second to none. With every great player I have had the privilege of coaching they truly care about the environment and also how we can improve it. I value that more than anything because I am always open to improvements. They set the standards themselves. Aside from being brilliant players, as with every great player, it is what they also do off the field.

“When I look to vet potential new signings and see what kind of person they are I talk through the pack they will be playing in or the pack they will be playing behind. Having two Currys within that dream team goes a long way to selling the clubs in terms of our aspirations. These two only want to get better, keep playing for England and the Lions. If we weren’t doing the right things they would be somewhere else.”

INJURY UPDATE

Ben Curry been training Tuesday and good to go, specialist said it just needed time to settle and it did

Jonny Hill has come through 12-day concussion protocol, available for selection

As strong a side as Al has been able to pick all season

OTHER NEWS

Leicester attack with width at the right times, increasingly pragmatic side, second best defence at the moment in terms of tries conceded, strong set-piece, efficiency when they get into your 22, you have to make your shots count against them, they have ability to win collisions and are aggressive around the breakdown

10-day preparations for games works for us pretty well, we have got a handle of works well for the players over the last two years, does not feel there will be a loss of momentum after a weekend off, “when we’re in, we’re in”, we have had better prep with 10 days between games than there would be with a 6-day turnaround

Last three away games since the Six Nations is where we need to be, coaching learnings, increased focus on how we want to start the game

Important players take ownership and you empower them, at this end of the season the players need to drive things, have to have adaptability on the field