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Sanderson: Bizarre bare-chested conversation broke ice with Diamond

By Liam Heagney
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Alex Sanderson has revealed the hilariously awkward moment that he first bumped into Steve Diamond after he succeeded him as the Sale director of rugby earlier this year. Diamond stepped away from the Sharks last December for family reasons having been in charge in his second stint at the club since 2012.

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Ex-Saracens assistant Sanderson, who played under Diamond at Sale in the early 2000s, was appointed in January as his successor and while the Diamond link at the club has continued under Sanderson as the ex-director’s son remains the Sharks media officer, the paths of the coaches didn’t cross until one day they accidentally bumped into each other at the Mere Resort and Spa in Knutsford.

Both men were bare-chested and in the swimming trunks when they first clapped eyes on each other but any awkwardness between the pair with regards to one man taking the job the other had left quickly disappeared and the pair went on to have a positive catch-up in unexpected surroundings.

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Eddie Jones explains his England squad selection

“I didn’t see him for four or five months,” said Sanderson when asked by RugbyPass if he had ever touched base with Diamond since he inherited the ambitious Sale team that his predecessor had built at the AJ Bell Stadium. “He still lives in the locality, he still drinks with Pete Anglesea, he still talks to the coaches but obviously when you leave a place you have to make that separation and he was on a bit of garden leave for a while, going to Ibiza and all of that. 

“I hadn’t seen him for a while and the club got me a membership for the Mere Country Club. It’s very posh, very upper middle class because it has got a swimming pool and my lad hadn’t been swimming because of Covid for two years and he is only four or five. So it has got a really nice swimming pool, there are no plasters in it. It’s a little bit to look at in terms of Cheshire-set housewives, so it has got it all there. It has got a spa.

“So I’m in there bobbing away with my lad who is just drowning basically, I am stopping him from drowning, in my trunks, and in walks Steve Diamond in his trunks with his five-year-old daughter. So this is the first time I have seen him (since taking the job) and you can’t be any more stripped bare, can you? So he gets into the swimming pool and we have a good chat.

“Steve has always been brilliant to me, he signed me up when I first came here (as a player). You know all the story. But to have a man-to-man bare-chested conversation in the swimming pool in our trunks really broke the ice, I guess. We talked about the team he built and it was always kind of on the cards for me to come here and for him to still be here. We talked once or twice about the roles that he would have and that I would come and take over the rugby. There were no ill feelings. He wanted only the best for the club.

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“There was no envy or jealousy there over the fact that we were doing well at that point of time and we were kicking on because he actually believed that was what we needed moving forward, and we talked about his prospects of getting back into the game. Bath has been the most recent one but there have been some others. San Diego was one, and he has got prospective backers (ready) to take over clubs who potentially come into some kind of financial trouble on the back of the Covid. He has always got fingers in pies, he has always got something on the go, and there is no animosity (between us).”

Diamond’s link to Bath emerged in the wake of that club’s 71-17 hammering last Sunday at home to Saracens and it has been speculated that he could come in to give Stuart Hooper, a rookie director of rugby, a helping hand as they are bottom of the Premiership having lost all four of their games this season.

Whatever the truth or otherwise of that Bath link, Sanderson reckoned it won’t be long before Diamond is back working in the game somewhere. “He has still got a lot to offer. I can’t speak for him because I haven’t seen him but he was motivated a few months ago, so I assume he is even more so now in terms of getting back into it. 

“It was bandied around that he was doing the (RFU) referees’ job as well. Can you imagine? Not that he would do a bad job, but his relationship with referees is poacher turned gamekeeper. So yeah, there have been loads of rumours about what he could be doing. There will be something on the not too distant horizon for Steve Diamond. He will be back in the game at some point soon.”

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j
john 27 minutes ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

13 Go to comments
A
Adrian 2 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

13 Go to comments
T
Trevor 5 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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