On early season form
“We have all got areas to improve on. As a 10 when the team goes well you normally go well so a lot of it is down to the team. They go hand in hand so when the 10 plays the team generally plays well. I am pretty happy with the way things have been going so far.”
On being given more licence
“What we have tried to do this season is get the balance right between how much we kick, how much we run with the ball and how much we pass. I think we have got that right so far. We probably didn’t get that right in the two games we lost. I think that has been a real stepping stone for us in terms of our evolution.”
On getting a run of games at 10
“It has been good to get a run of games at 10. I don’t mind where I play so wherever the team needs me I will do my best wherever I am. As a player you just want to play so it doesn’t matter if I am playing on the wing, at fullback or 13 I just want to play. When you get a run of games in a certain position you get comfortable and with people around you that you have been playing with quite a bit you get to know each other more, the nuances between you and the connections you make really helps.”
On wanting to lay down a marker before George Ford returns from injury
“It’s not something I really think about. I just put my best foot forward every week and we will see what happens when we get to it. If that means I keep playing 10 I will play there, if that means shifting to 13 or wherever the team needs me I will go there. All I can do now is focus on my performances week in, week out and try and do that to the best of my ability.”
Any changes in his approach leading to rich vein of form
“I guess wanting to have the ball in my hands more, getting more touches. I think in the past I probably didn’t get as many touches as I should have. So that’s what we are trying to do, personally trying to be a bit more attacking at the line. The mindset we have had as a team allows that. I can’t do my job if everyone else isn’t doing theirs. If everyone else is in the right place it makes my job a lot easier and I have got a lot more options around me. Whereas if I only have one option everyone knows what that option is. At the moment we have a lot of different options and that is testament to the team.”
What he learnt playing at 13 last season
“I had never played 13 before, I had played a bit at 12. I have a newfound respect for 13’s because it is very difficult defending in the 13 channel in the wider areas. That was something I learnt quite quickly. Appreciating how much a 13 can help a 10 and vice versa through communication, which is something we have been talking about a lot. The 13 is the eyes for the 10 a lot of the time because they are in the wider channels whereas the 10 is looking in. So I appreciate now what a good 13 can give to a fly-half. And if I am at 13 I know what a fly-half wants so I can give that too.”
Discussions with coaches about playing at 13
“We sat down and possible I wasn’t happy with the game-time I was getting and they said they thought there was a position that could work for you and I said happy days. I just want to play and help the team wherever I can. I took that head on and I really enjoy playing at 13.”
Relationship with George Ford and other 10’s at the club
“I have always had really good working relationships with the other 10’s. Myself and AJ MacGinty (now at Bristol, who Sale play this weekend) were really good mates; we got along really well and we bounced off each other. With George coming in he has already had an effect on the team. The way we have played could be down to something he said earlier in the season with the backs getting more touches, being more involved and taking on more responsibility. He has been really good; when he speaks people listen. He is a guy who has played a lot of Premiership games and test matches. He has been really good around the place, especially with the young 10’s like Tom Curtis and Kieran Wilkinson. He has put some time in with them and we have seen how they have come on. Kieran played really well last week and Tom has been playing and training really well too. It’s really healthy.”
Impact of the new signings
“It is always nice to bring in people from different places and having a different perspective. I think you can see the energy they have brought. Things tend to get stale after a while, so when you get these new players in like Tom O’Flaherty who has been brilliant for us, so has Jonny Hill. They have brought a different perspective of how they see the game which might not be the same as the way we see the game so you feed off each other. The new signings have made a real difference.”
The Du Preez brothers loving life at Sale on and off the field
“You want people who want to be here. The culture is great and that is shown by the people we have kept, obviously Dan and Jean-Luc signing new contracts is massive. We are all comfortable, settled. We have made this place our home. The three of us have all got married, bought houses and had kids whilst we have been here. So we have really bought in and settled here. We love this place. The teammates we have around us are brilliant, we have made some really good connections off the field. If it weren’t for that, it may have been a different conversation. The fact that we really love this place and the fact that we have been enjoying how things have been going on and off the field made it that bit easier to stay on.
“Us 3 staying together is pretty special. Being able to see each other every day is very special. That was one of the bigger factors (being settled off the field). There would have been bigger offers financially, I’m not sure on the particulars. Having to possible split up would have been tough. Us being together for another 2-3 years was a big factor. Everyone always goes on about how special it is to play with your brothers which is cool but it is more seeing them day in, day out which is something we will probably miss when we do eventually go our separate ways because the time will come when we do go our separate ways.”
Any change in dynamic between brothers and their father?
“I don’t think it has been too big. When he was coaching us he was professional when we were at the club (the Sharks in Durban) but then at home it was like every other day. I think that is what it’s like now. He will always give us feedback on our games and how we went. It’s generally quite positive. Probably not as much rugby chat but there is still that element. When he was coaching us it was always professional but as soon as you leave he was our father and we were his sons so it was normal at home.”
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