DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE AGAINST BATH
“Yes I was thrilled in terms of physicality and how we limited options. But we gave three offsides on the back of some really good line speed and that let them in for six/ nine points. It can always be better; keep the physicality but keep some daylight behind the ruck. We addressed it at half-time and we conceded just one penalty in the second half was a real positive that we drew attention to on Monday.”
JONNY HILL
“I don’t think you would see his disappointment on missing out on the World Cup. I think he has actually played better in the last few games than he has at any time for us at Sale. He has had to reframe what his drivers are and his plan in the next four years. What used to motivate him isn’t there in terms of the next World Cup potentially. He might be too old for that, although he might disagree. He has a meeting with Steve Borthwick on Tuesday as have seven others of our players. There is still light there for him to play international rugby. I think he is playing to the standard that would indicate he is capable.”
JOE JONES’ DEPARTURE
“What is best for us is to keep a tighthead of that quality within the squad in case we get any injuries. He hasn’t played any rugby this year. As it stood he was down the pecking order. Scarlets had Samson Lee retire through an Achilles injury so they needed a starting tighthead. Joe has got one child and another one coming in the next few weeks. He gets to move back to his ancestral home where he has ambitions to play for Wales. He gets to be first choice and his wife gets the support she needs for their second child. We profess to care here probably more about the person than the player. We want to make sure it is the right place for them to be. This was under the generosity of Simon Orange I might add because Joe was under contract. Simon forewent any transfer fee and we didn’t make him play through his contract because it was the best thing for Joe and his family moving forward. Wearing my Sale Sharks hat it wasn’t an easy decision because the best would have been to keep him. The understanding when players come here is they get looked after.”
BEVAN RODD INJURY
“He has fractured a pea-sized bone in his toe. We don’t know the length of it. We thought it was turf toe a couple of weeks ago, which is a common injury in props. It was painful and bruised but wasn’t showing any signs of tendinopathy in the foot. So we took him to get it scanned and he has got a really small fracture that was just opening up under the amount of stress through a game. It was getting more sore during the game. It is something he could play through because he did twice but it is not something we want to affect his toe by way of incurring arthritis down the line which would be a nightmare to handle. So it is important we let it settle in the next few weeks. How long it takes is based on the recommendation of the consultant he is going to see this week. He is not up for selection this week.
“Running around is generally ok. Nav Sandhu, the club medic, was worried about Bevan, his foot is bruising and it’s not presenting as it should the last two weeks even though he has been playing really well with it. This was Sunday and he comes in Monday and I said to Bevan ‘If you’re not training you cannot play. Nav thinks he might be able to get you through to the game but you are going to start losing form and it’s not fair for you to do that, it’s not fair on everyone else who is training and that’s the policy we have.
“He was so adamant that he was going to train today (Tuesday) that Nav took him to an extra scan and it flagged up to the extent where Nav said Bev had fractured his toe. It affects the stability of the big toe, not to the extent where he cannot run around, be the life and soul of the party, be all those things and it’s not impairing his walking. But when you put it through the stresses and strains of making tackles, carries, hitting rucks and winning all those scrum penalties as he did at the weekend, then it starts to take its toll and it will just get worse, chronically worse, over time so it is better that we look after him now than have to manage him forever if we pushed him through. Don’t take me out of context because we have to take him to a consultant but just thickening the ligaments around it should probably protect it enough and a week or two is the best case for him to play without pain as he goes through the 50-minute mark of the game because he is good to the 50-minute mark. In fact it didn’t really hurt until they brough him off but there is obviously something there.”
RECRUITMENT PLANS FOR NEXT SEASON
“It’s mainly retention for us. We are in negotiations with a few players who have been with us for a while and understanding what their market value looks like minus a percentage because we believe we look after them better. That’s the policy we have gone after. We are not looking to recruit in any one area. It’s more retention of what we have got at present. I will add this as a caveat; from my experience there are always two or three you had planned for your future who have other plans for them and their family. That will happen.
“We will spend up to the cap. All the increases in cap are taken up by the increasing market value of our current players. We are proud of the young core of the squad and their salaries rise as their experience grows. We have eight players meeting with Steve Borthwick on Tuesday. With that increasing attention comes an increase in salary. We have accounted for that.
“Gus Creevy had interest from Toulon before he came here and he turned them because he wanted to be part of this. There is some interest in Gus Warr from Edinburgh. We are in negotiations with him and are a long way into them, which are positive and we want to keep him. I’m sure teams in France will come in for Manu. No player has come to me and said that they have got this and want this as yet. We are still sitting down at the table with them.”
GUS WARR
“Honestly I probably underestimated him like most people have most of his life. He is first-choice quality. You have someone like Raffi Quirke in this squad as well who has so much x-factor, such ability. He can do things other people can’t do. But what Gus does consistently well all the time a lot of other people can’t do. He isn’t the fastest or the most powerful but he has got to be the one of the best decision makers, game managers in the half-back position that I have been lucky to work with. At the start of the season I was thinking who was our number one; Gus or Raffi? I don’t think it matters so long as they are both on form and we are able to use them both. We are very lucky to have them both and that’s why I want to keep them both. His consistent ability to put the ball in the right place at the right time is an x-factor, it’s just not as flashy as other scrum-halves in the league. He has definitely converted me. I want him to be here forever. I am a disciple of Gus Warr. I will tell him how appreciative I am of him.”
INJURY UPDATE
Players a little bit sore after win against Bath so training loading has been reduced by 20%
Jean-Luc du Preez- a couple of weeks off
Raffi Quirke- having button, which was used to keep elastic bands on, taken out of his jaw, means he is eligible to play
Manu Tuilagi- a week away
Tom Ellis- three/ four weeks
Telusa Veainu- two weeks away
Luke James- two to three weeks
OTHER NEWS
Not looking now for an injury replacement for Tom Curry, did not make sense financially or blocking path of players coming through
Excited for juicy group in the Investec Champions Cup, which is always important as it is the best competition, different intensity and buzz to the Premiership, different on so many levels to the Prem, knockout nature of the competition is good experience and prepares you well, important to relish the challenge
Not underestimating Harlequins one bit, underestimate them at your peril, Stade Français does not impact squad for Friday night’s game at Quins
Plan at start of season was to go hell for leather in this first block of Prem games and see where we are at end of this block
Importance of managing the likes of Ernst van Rhyn
The 8 players meeting with Steve Borthwick next Tuesday; Bevan Rodd, George Ford, Tom Curry, Manu Tuilagi, Joe Carpenter, Tom Roebuck, Jonny Hill, Ben Curry, part of new initiative from the RFU, used to have two-day camps but now spending an afternoon twice at all the clubs with the players
Wayne Hoyle was in house today (Tuesday), forms one part of mental skills programme by ways of mentoring, Wayne looks after senior players, Callum Clark looks after junior players, putting on four or five people in different areas to upskill them specifically
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