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'It wasn't just getting drunk, we had little activities for them'
Sale boss Alex Sanderson has hailed the impact that a recent bonding session in London has had on his squad as they prepare to head to Wales on Sunday to take on the Ospreys in the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup. Knowing his Sharks had a bye-week in the 13-team Gallagher Premiership on the weekend after their November 28 trip to Saracens, the rookie director of rugby took full advantage of the schedule to let some hair down.
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There was a Sunday night drinking session at The Ship in Wandsworth to help the Sale squad lick the wounds of their loss to the promoted Championship champions, and the following day heralded a rat race and a visit to a winter wonderland before some time off prior to the start of their prepping for their latest Champions Cup campaign.
Sanderson knows Sale got lucky with their timing. If their break was this week, for instance, he would shy away from planning any high jinx due to the changed outlook governing the pandemic in England. But those few late November days in London getting away from the daily cycle of professional rugby was invaluable, reckoned the director of rugby who is still serving his apprenticeship as a boss having only taken charge in Manchester last January.
“The feedback was very strong, that it had a really positive effect in the few days that we had in London,” explained Sanderson to RugbyPass when quizzed about the importance of non-rugby events for his rugby team.
“Everyone wanted time off, that was the general consensus to spend with family, and we gave them some time off over the week, but I knew how important it was just to come together and get a bit loose I guess. It wasn’t just getting drunk, we had little activities and stuff for them to do which forced them into conversations in small groups and cooperation.
"There are mixed feelings there"
– Alex Sanderson has been reflecting with @heagneyl 👨💻 on the difficult decision by Sale to release Denny Solomona early from his contract #Sale #HeinekenChampionsCup #OSPvSAL #Englandhttps://t.co/O8A2Ryknr8
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) December 9, 2021
“The feedback coming in from all quarters post the event, it really was worth doing and one of the best socials. I honestly believe it was money well spent. It is hard to convince (club) owners because it is intangible what you are trying to build, but it’s crucial. Even when you think you are tight (as a squad) there are always levels you can go to get deeper and strengthen those bonds and friendship, to be a stronger brotherhood, whatever you want to call it.”
That said, Sanderson admitted Sale got lucky with their timing. “This was the first social we have been on since January. Right now, if I knew then what I know now in terms of the increasing risk of Covid and the consequences of isolation, I probably wouldn’t have done it if it was this Sunday. Honestly, I wouldn’t, but we ended up going and getting away with it because not one of us came down with Covid. We were very lucky or we have all had it. It’s one of the two, I don’t know which.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
well the favourites dont always win and let scott robertson chose his number 8
3 Go to commentsthats great for cam miller and the highlanders the crusaders have got problems within there systems that were proberly covered up astheywere winning when scott robertson was in charge
2 Go to commentsThe last time Plumtree coached the sharks they sucked the same when with the hurricanes now back with the shark Springboro. They still have no game plan
1 Go to commentsan impressive nail biting win for the Blues...but for mine the losing of the game sits with Isaia Walker-Leawere who fumbled balls from kick offs, broken play and then stripped of the ball by Sam Nock in the final minute…
3 Go to commentsAll of the Moderna law changes have been to slow the game down, playing into the hands of SA and the north. Incentivising boring, negative rugby. Brilliant changes. Speed up the game.
11 Go to commentsImagine you kick to the lineout, they give away a free kick, you have a great chance at a scrum, sorry sir you have to tap and go. Ridiculous
11 Go to commentsWhile I believe that the Crusaders do not deserve a spot in the playoffs, every single team would be worried to play them no matter where on the table they are. For example, they have the potential to knock out the Blues at Eden Park. They are the Springboks in Super Rugby in that they know exactly how to play knockout footy and have the pedigree and experience to do it. Something is just not quite right with that team this year. Fakatava is prone to to the odd brain explosion and can kick away good ball in bad positions. His work around the ruck and breakdown is a standout. Is he better than Finlay Christie? I’m not sure. TJ Perenara and Cortez Ratima should get two of the spots in the ABs squad. Aumua has so much potential but the midfield is quite well stocked with Jordie, ALB, Tupaea, and Ioane as well as Billy Proctor who is in top form. Aumua would be battling a spot with Tupaea and Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy do some Bok fans get so defensive when people have opinions on how the game should be played? Is it really necessary to take it as a personal attack on SA every time?
11 Go to commentsMost crazy rule is when attacking player has to release but defender does not. Stop the defender doing that by saying hands off. That way fender would not kill the ball. Madness and crazy
80 Go to commentsMinicamp rules include no-pads and no tackling.
1 Go to commentsToulouse has enough quality players so no headaches 😁 Choco is rarely a starting centre. Throughout this championship there have been far worse actions that were never called… too many rules, too many rule changes, too many inconsistencies, too many angry fans. I'm not surprised rugby does not attract new spectators, how could they understand 🤣
6 Go to commentsAh yes Andy with his “Goode” views. Oke might as well come out and say it, “I like seeing South African scrums depowered in order to give the rest of the world a chance”. Somehow he thinks World Rugby always knew about calling scrums from marks and it just so happened to coincide with Damien Willemse’s call that they decided to change the rules. Ah come on, if he can't see it then he needs prescription glasses. No ways, they are doing this for the betterment of Rugby. They want to clamp down on Rassie’s innovative skills than encouraging coaches to think outside of the box to try new things. What they can't count on is what Rassie will plan next. I almost get the impression that once Rassie retires World Rugby is going to be scrabbling around trying to find their identity. Currently set at ARP (Anti-Rassie Party). Although I don't really care in that regard because they always a RWC step behind.
11 Go to commentsWow ten years since they had a backing and more from the paying public I’d also mention that as a blues man and in walking distance to the garden I’d say that this team and Vern Cotter have got us dreaming beautiful thoughts and the merit is there from numbers 1 to 23 but we would like to think this is the new dna for the ABs and a pack weighing 940kg dry y not I hasten to add it seems patty has to stay fit cause he is the driver the main driver and they follow plus the pipe man H Plummer is conducting his own orchestra ….. Beethoven anybody
1 Go to commentsJuicy stuff well covered I’d go as far as to say that the referee was a key component in keeping it a tasty spectacle
3 Go to commentsCotter has added that steel that has been missing. Let's see if it will carry until the Finals… Come on the Blues ….
2 Go to commentsAndy Goode just loves to be controversial. Its boring. Let’s all stop reading.
11 Go to commentsYou have got to consider that if the situation was flipped and the French were held to a salary cap with no English equivalent, the English would laugh in their faces and tell them to get over it. As for Leinster (as a fan), the central contract system is a dream but is guilty of cutting out the other 3 provinces. At the end of the day, it comes across outside of the English border that the Premiership is drowning and trying to take everyone else with it rather than adapt. The English lose, the English want new rules. We've seen this repeat (and once it even led to the current Champions Cup) You make many good and informed points, but if the flip was on the other flop, it wouldn't be Rugby’s problem I suspect - it would be a French one.
18 Go to commentsSeems to have been a bright start but it tailed off. To win the big matches you have to get used to putting your foot on the throttle and your opponent’s necks in an 80 minutes performance which is what the All Blacks were renowned for. An example in the Women’s game is England v Ireland in the 6N match played at Twickenham in April. Watch on YouTube.
1 Go to commentsBobby has been a first grade bonehead since high school. Like a true Cape Tonian, his own reflection is more important than anything else.
1 Go to commentsNo comment on the textbook red card for Ramm that was just ignored? Amazing that
4 Go to comments