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'AJ walks in and he's all flustered, like all red and stressed...'
Alex Sanderson has explained the drama that happened AJ MacGinty last weekend, the Sale out-half pulling out of Sunday’s Heineken Champions Cup match at Clermont just hours before the squad was due to leave for France. There was no drama on Friday lunchtime when the Sharks confirmed their team for the round three tie, Sanderson naming the soon-to-be 32-year-old to start at Stade Marcel-Michelin.
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However, the Dublin-born USA international was soon scratched from the side as he learned that his wife was to be induced on Saturday and the arrival of their new daughter meant that MacGinty was to understandably miss a match that Sale went on to narrowly lose on a 25-19 scoreline.
MacGinty is expected back in the Sale fold for this Sunday’s final-round pool match at home to the Ospreys and he will be welcomed back with a smile by Sanderson who had no qualms about the late rejig of his team for Clermont which saw Kieran Wilkinson, a rookie 22-year-old, elevated into the No10 jersey for his first-ever Champions Cup start.
Asked by RugbyPass if MacGinty would be available this weekend, Sanderson confirmed that he was and the director of rugby then proceeded to recall the drama that ensued last weekend when the out-half arrived flustered into the office at the Sale training ground in Carrington.
“Yes [McGinty is available]. He has had a little baby, and all the du Preezs are having kids – that is always a good sign that you have a good club, everyone starts breeding. I was chatting to Dan (du Preez), who is having one in a few weeks, about having a couple of days off to support his wife because it is their first kid.
The powerhouse midfielder was excluded from the England squad named on Tuesday by Eddie Jones#England #SixNations #Sale
https://t.co/b5le3WhxYm— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) January 19, 2022
“And then I came off the training pitch and I was ‘AJ, is Sam not super pregnant?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, yeah’. This is on Friday and we were supposed to leave on the Saturday. So I am, ‘Do you want a day or two off?’ He goes, ‘No, no’. He goes, ‘Well, she has been for another scan and they are going to induce her at some point so when they do that I’ll have that day off and then she can go home, her friend is over from America and my mum is over and all that so she is fine. Once she gets home she is fine but I just need that day off’.
“That is on Friday lunchtime. Two hours later I am in the office looking over training and AJ walks in and he is all flustered, like all red and stressed. He was, ‘She has just had a scan, they are inducing her in the morning’. This is Saturday when we are supposed to go and I am, ‘Jesus, well there is your day off’, and we couldn’t get a flight for him on the Sunday so he missed out.
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“I think I tempted faith too much in asking did he want a day off and it happened to be on the day when we were travelling, that is why he was off. But you know what, there are bigger things in the game. I apologise to all our spectators who would rather have AJ play than be present at his daughter’s birth but that is the truth of it, that is what I believe. Some things are bigger than the game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Will rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
2 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
2 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
2 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
28 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
2 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
3 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
24 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
3 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
28 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
2 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
3 Go to comments