REASONS FOR GREAT FORM THIS SEASON
“Probably a lot of time in the saddle. If you look at the minutes played I have played a lot of minutes this season. The team has obviously been going pretty well so if you are playing at 10 or in the backline it’s pretty easy to play behind a pack that is quite dominant like ours. I can’t put my finger on it really. I have just been trying to get my hands on the ball more and the way we play and way we have changed probably feeds into my strengths a little bit.”
PLAYING AT 13 OUTSIDE GEORGE FORD
“It has been brilliant. He is world-class. His communication and game-management is brilliant so if you are outside him it is pretty simple really. If you look at Roebuck, Reed, O’Flaherty and Carpenter are getting the fruits of the labour of the guys inside. It’s been very good playing with him. We dovetail well as I move into first receiver quite a bit so we help each other out there. His communication is second to none really.
“I’m pretty confident in the position. The only thing that is quite tough is defence. It is one of the harder positions to defend. But on attack it’s quite simple. I slot myself in next to him, being that extra set of hands and ball player outside him. It will take time to become 100% confident on defence but I’m pretty comfortable there.”
HOW MUCH IT WOULD MEAN TO LIFT THE PREMIERSHIP TROPHY?
“It would be pretty special. The club hasn’t won the Premiership in 17 years. I have been here four and half years now and this has been the first real chance to win the Premiership. We have been in a semi-final before. Two years ago it was always going to be a tough task going down to Exeter in the semi-finals. We have a real shot now. Doing it for the North would be brilliant but also doing it for the lads, some big names who are leaving who have put a lot into this place, the supporters, the families. It would be very special. My brothers and I are pretty invested in Manchester, the North and Sale, hence why they signed and I have taken my option to extend. We really enjoy it here so it would be great to top off what I think has been a pretty good year for Sale by lifting the trophy.
GUEST SPEAKERS
“We have had some great guest speakers come in recently. Jamie Peacock came in and gave us some great insight into big games and big-game mentality. We had one of the best sports coaches in the world this week in Sir Alex Ferguson. The Man United fans loved that. We have done a lot of breathing stuff which some of the boys really enjoy. It is something I don’t really think about a lot but when I am kicking I try to get my breathing under control so personally for me that is something I have picked up.”
WORKING UNDER ALEX SANDERSON COMPARED TO PREVIOUS COACHES
“I think what Alex does really well is he speaks well and gets his points across. He puts themes on the weeks so things don’t get stale. There may be the same messages but they don’t get boring and you are always wondering what he will come up with in the meeting and pretty much every time it is spot-on. It is new and gives the boys something to think about. He has given the coaches around him a lot of confidence. He has given Paul Deacon some licence with the attack. The way we have been attacking has been brilliant. Alex coming from Saracens they had a big kicking game and kicking coach Warren Spragg has come a long way under Alex’s guidance and that is probably something Alex had a hand in at Saracens. The vibe and brotherhood he has created has been pretty good.”
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