SPECIAL SEMI-FINAL
“It wasn’t too bad really! The atmosphere was electric getting off the bus. Everyone was going crazy. It felt like we were walking into a gladiatorial arena. The atmosphere was then on mental on the pitch. When you’re on the pitch you don’t hear it because you are in the zone. I was on the bench for 60 minutes and you just hear the crowd going mental. It will be a bit different at Twickenham because not every fan will be a Sale fan. But just to play in that kind of arena is the best I have ever seen the AJ Bell. Now playing for Sale it was just the best.”
TAPPING INTO EMOTION
“You can’t shy away from the obvious fact that last week we were in a semi-final and now this week we are in a final. You just have to embrace it. We spoke about it at the start of the week, in particular George and Manu talking about embracing every part that comes including the emotion. Little things like having more family members coming to watch means a lot to me. They give you more strength and energy on the pitch.”
UNDERDOG TAG BEING USED AS MOTIVATION
“We have a main focus on ourselves. If we bring the best of us we think we can beat anyone. We have not really spoken too much about being underdogs. It’s ok to fly under the radar a little bit.”
LEARNINGS FROM SEMI-FINAL DEFEAT TWO YEARS AGO
“I feel like I have grown a lot as a player. My understanding of the game is a lot better learning from people like Faf de Klerk all the time. I am learning from George Ford now. The feeling we had going into the semi-final and now into the final this week it doesn’t feel like our last week. It feels like we still have three or four weeks left of the season.”
HOW MUCH WOULD IT MEAN TO THE PREMIERSHIP?
“It would mean the world. I will have all of my family there. Seeing boys like Jason Robinson and Sebastian Chabal lifting the trophy back in 2006. To have the opportunity to do it ourselves would be a dream come true. We have got to go and do the business now.”
HOW TOUGH HAVE THE INJURIES BEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR?
“I think because I am young it hasn’t been too hard to get through them. With the hamstring injury I knew exactly when I would be back. I set my goals and managed to do a lot during that time in terms of growing as a player and a person. I have learnt a lot about myself. Getting back fit after that I felt good, back to my best and confident. Then I injured my wrist which was mentally much tougher than the hamstring injury. I wasn’t back to my best straight away after the wrist injury. It was during the winter so the cold weather made it difficult for me on the injured wrist. It was a very different injury to come back from. This season even though I haven’t had the consistency I have learnt so much about dealing with injuries, form and confidence. To be back where I am now you couldn’t ask for a better place to be.”
ALEX SANDERSON
“He is detailed with the coaches but with us as players he is quite simple with his messaging. Speaking to him this week and the week building up to the semi-final have been simple. I know my role, he knows my role. There is good communication and it’s easy.”
“I have definitely enjoyed the different themes every week, keeping everything light and the boys really interested. A lot of the stuff off the pitch including the socials have been brilliant. There is a good buy in from everyone, players and coaches.”