'We felt we were Real Madrid going into that game, and we got put on our backsides'
Steve Diamond says there is no danger of his Sale Sharks players getting carried away after they moved four points behind Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter.
Sale’s fourth win in their last five league starts – a 23-17 success against Gloucester at rain-swept Kingsholm – kept them in second place and underlined strong title play-off hopes
But Sale Sharks rugby director Diamond said: “We won’t get ahead of ourselves.
“We got a good hiding two weeks ago at Saracens in similar conditions. I think we felt we were Real Madrid going into that game, and we got put on our backsides.
“We had a good chat about it, because we are a good team.
“Last week, Leicester came to us in very similar conditions and we controlled the game, and we knew if we could just control the field position tonight and possession as much as we could, we would be all right.
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“We are definitely not getting carried away. There is no altitude sickness around the place.
“I predicted before the game it was going to be six points either way, and I was right.”
Diamond confirmed that Sale are set to announce three new signings – two forwards and a back – in the next week or two as their campaign continues to gather impressive momentum.
“I thought we carried well tonight, the half-backs looked after the ball well, and I am delighted,” he added. “It is a difficult place to come.
“Everyone is keen and everyone is buzzing. You have got to play well to stay in the team, and I don’t think any other coach wants it any other way.”
Sale’s wet-weather game in miserable conditions served them well as they gained an impressive victory through tries from centre Luke James, lock Bryn Evans and wing Marland Yarde, with fly-half Rob du Preez kicking two penalties and a conversion.
Prop Fraser Balmain and centre Billy Twelvetrees touched down for Gloucester, while the latter added a penalty and two conversions.
It was Gloucester’s fourth successive league defeat, and they have not won in the competition since toppling Bath eight weeks ago.
“I think he was 90kilos at the time. He was awful, nothing short of that. He was a bad rugby player! Everyone was like: ‘We’re just handing trials out? He’s a competition winner?’.https://t.co/xvft0zK3Lb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2020
“We always stay in the fight. We never give up and always give ourselves a chance to win the game,” Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann said.
“But unfortunately, there were a few symptoms from the last couple of weeks where we lost ball at crucial stages and gave away four or five penalties that got them territory.
“If you look at tonight’s penalties, there was a scrum penalty, a high-tackle penalty, an offside penalty. It’s a concern it is not on one area, so we will just keep working on it.
“Hopefully, something somewhere will turn for us. We have to stay positive and stay united as a group and keep believing.”
Press Association
Comments on RugbyPass
Good luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
37 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
37 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
37 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
37 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
37 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
37 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
37 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to comments