Last Sunday's Richard Wigglesworth visit behind enemy lines
Better the devil you know perfectly sums up the challenge awaiting Alex Sanderson on Sunday when he attempts to guide Sale into the club’s second-ever Gallager Premiership final. The Sharks have been there just once before, in 2006 when they defeated Leicester in the final at Twickenham. Richard Wigglesworth was the starting Sale scrum-half that day and this weekend the soon-to-be England assistant will be at the AJ Bell… coaching the Tigers.
Add to the mix how Sanderson and Wigglesworth spent many years working together at Saracens as assistant coach and player under Mark McCall and it all counts up to creating a fascinating dynamic around the sold-out semi-final in Manchester.
The pair were all sweetness and light on Wednesday night in London at the Gallagher Premiership end-of-season awards, but that wasn’t the only Sale orbit that Wigglesworth ventured into in the lead-up to the knockout contest. Warren Spragg, the Sale kicking coach, is an old schoolmate and former Sharks teammate of Wigglesworth… and guess who Spragg had around to his house last Sunday? Yes, you guessed it, a certain Richard Wigglesworth.
Wigglesworth has only been a head coach since last December’s sudden exit of Steve Borthwick to take the England job, but Sanderson rates him as a better coach than him due to the fact that he is only a recently-retired player, someone who came off the bench in a European game just last December six months after he started in Leicester’s Premiership final title win over Saracens at Twickenham.
Asked to describe his rapport with the ex-Tigers scrum-half, Sanderson said: “He [Wigglesworth] was around at Warren Spragg’s house last Sunday, he is our transition kicking coach. He went to my school [Kirkham Grammar], we played together, I coached him – I didn’t really coach him that much, we worked together at Saracens and then for the last three years I would say I have mentored him, I have engaged with him in and around strategy and tactics for his coaching career.
“I consider him a good friend and a friend of the family. He lives up in Hale, which is 20 minutes away, and in terms of similar alignment, there is probably no one in the Premiership who knows me better, who I know better per se by way of those things I have just talked about. In fact, if anything he is better than me because he has been a lot closer to the coal face, he has played more recently so that makes you have more fingers on the pulse, your ear is a little bit closer to the ground so to speak.
“So, for all those things, it is going to be interesting. What I am going after in his team, he will probably go after in ours. Seriously like, so that will be interesting. Where I feel privileged, where I feel lucky is the group I work with, the coaching group I work with – they have got cohesion, they have got trust and they challenge me so what you see is not a Saracens 2.0 version.
“I believe we have the potential to be better. Of course I do, or else why are we in it? That is not because of me, that is because of this group I work with. I told them that, I told them I really appreciate them.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to comments