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The Alex Sanderson verdict on the latest title-chasing Sale win
Alex Sanderson has set his sights on a home tie after Sale Sharks secured their place in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs. Sharks’ 36-20 victory over Bristol at Ashton Gate confirmed a top-four finish, and they need one more win from remaining games against Gloucester and Newcastle to guarantee a play-off encounter on home soil.
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“It is tough against the best teams away from home,” Sale rugby director Sanderson said. “You want to maintain form – you have to, going into finals. Us maintaining form means we win again and get a home semi-final. That is the basics of it.
“We needed that tonight. We have been nearly there, nearly there, and we have had enough of saying that. It was a good time to find a bit of form.
“It is confirmation of our belief. That was a more complete performance, and the big players finding form at this time in the season is crucial.”
England centre Manu Tuilagi was a key performer in Sale’s win, and a new contract with the Sharks could be finalised within days.
Tom Curry and Ben Curry share the #GallagherPrem Player of the Match award – a first for everything ? pic.twitter.com/NjAgarPoQd
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) April 14, 2023
Sanderson added: “It is not signed, not sealed, but it has been delivered. There were other moving parts with regard to the salary cap which slotted into place today [Friday]. I have been there before when the rug gets pulled from under your feet, and a French or Japanese team come in with £1million.
“I am never going to stand in his way if that is what is right for him and his family. It’s right for him to stay with us for all the reasons.”
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George Ford was the architect of Sale’s impressive win, kicking four penalties, a drop-goal and three conversions for a 21-point haul.
Skipper Ben Curry, lock Jean-Luc du Preez and scrum-half Gus Warr scored tries for Sale, while Bristol replied with touch downs from wings Siva Naulago and Gabriel Ibitoye, a penalty and two conversions by former Sharks fly-half AJ MacGinty, plus a James Williams penalty.
Paying tribute to the England international Curry brothers Ben and Tom, Sanderson said: “They are probably playing some of their best rugby. They are loving it, coming to their maturation. What are they? 24 now.
“Tom has had his recognition, and Ben is richly deserving getting his. It’s fitting they got men of the match tonight. I can’t wax more lyrically about them. They are good lads, great to work with. Super enthusiastic. Both could have a captain’s armband, but Ben is carrying that torch and Tom is supporting him, which is great.”
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Bristol, who saw prop Ellis Genge yellow-carded following a high tackle on Sale flanker and his England teammate Tom Curry, are now effectively out of the playoff race.
“Whenever we play Sale it comes down to the physical battle, and 100 per cent they won that,” Bristol rugby director Lam said. “We made it difficult for ourselves. We gave 12 points away before they even got in our 22. All in all, it was disappointing.
“When you have got a kicker like George Ford, and in those (wet) conditions, three points are like five points. For us now, it is about making sure we secure Champions Cup (qualification) for next season.”
Comments on RugbyPass
lol that’s your opinion Ben, All Blacks benefited from a forward pass try, SA played 77 min without a recognised hooker, missed a no try conversion and a penalty could have would have but didn’t
195 Go to commentsBrett, from my distant perspective, I hope you get to keep the Rebels. Any ideas of teams from Japan or Argentina are just crazy. Won’t happen. If you look at logistics, it is much easier to get to LA from Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney than to Buenos Aires. All with direct non-stop daily flights. You may even get some “gringos” to watch the games, with some younger players compared to Giteau and Nonu who still “play” in the area. I think it is virtually impossible to get a competitive Argie team for SR. All Pumas are in Europe, almost all second tier players are also in Europe. Fringe players are in South American pro rugby tournament (and many still in the MLR!) but these players who might be most interested in joining a new Jaguares do not have the skills to compete. As I have been saying since the Jaguares joined, they should have had TWO teams to make logistics for visiting teams better and Argie player development improved as well. Jaguares/Pumas was not ideal. But this is where Pichot and his cronies did not think long enough. Further the country with he new president “No hay Plata” Milei is in a very difficult situation. Galperin, the richest man in Argentina owns the Miami franchise of MLR. I don’t think you can get him to invest in Argentina. Actually, he played rugby himself. He was a fly half. He is worth around $6 billion!
1 Go to commentsWell done Baby Boks we will take the Draw. No 9 senseless long passes in those conditions. let’s move on and hope for some good weather
4 Go to commentsHow did it end a draw. South Africa didn’t score any points as far as I can see
4 Go to commentsNo doubt this will be a fantastic occasion and I plan to be there, but I think the bean counters have won out over the rugby brains. In my opinion, it is foolhardy to give the Black Ferns the experience of playing in front of 60,000+ at Twickenham a year before they might be playing there in a World Cup Final. Better to play France at Twickenham and Black Ferns at Kingsholm. The difference in takings would be miniscule.
1 Go to commentsDom kant
195 Go to commentsBen is a little incel desperately trying to stir the pot and stay relevant. We used to get mad at his articles. Now we just feel sorry for him
195 Go to commentsPerhaps we may need to put an asterisk on NZ’s ‘87 WC win since the Boks weren’t there. You know, just as a reminder. Poor Ben Smith. Go cry somewhere else.
195 Go to commentsNz should have won. I didn't watch the game, but the ref was at fault and the bounce of the ball and the Bokke used the Bomb squad and the Bokke slow the game down and the Bokke scrum. They should remove the scrum. The Bokke are to strong. Not fair. Nz should have won
3 Go to commentsThanks for a much more balanced piece Ned and not that BS that Bin Smuth just posted a short while ago. read this article and then Bin Smuth’s and tell me there isn’t a huge difference🙄
3 Go to commentsWere the Baby Boks part of this game or did the Baby Blacks play themselves?🤔 That man Bin Smuth once again does a little write-up on the game and it is like 95% about the Baby Blacks🤣 Glad he ends off with the Baby Blacks were actually in cruise control for most of the game and weren’t actually playing for the win WTF🤣🤣 Maybe he was expecting the Baby Blacks to run rampant….
4 Go to commentsOne does not expect anything more from Ben Smith who epitomises the worst of New Zealand media arrogance and an inability to balance what he has to say about any team that beats the All Blacks. His reference to context is pathetically thin. He does not comment that Frizell deserved a red card given his blatant manipulation of his body to ensure that he could drop his body weight onto Mbonambi’s lower leg. No mention of the ball lost forward before the All Black’s try (lost in-field of the 5 metre line and gathered beyond). The All Black commitment and effort was superb and there was little in it. Given the Springbok passage to the final and the loss of their hooker in the first three minutes, their resolve and capacity to win their fourth final out of eight attempts (not three out of ten) deserves the praise that has been forthcoming from media around the world, worth reading and listening to. Ben should join his “pundit” friends on TV - he would fit in well. This sort of article reduces any credibility Rugby Pass has ever had. Why persist with this sort of nonsense? The man does his country and a rugby blog a disservice.
195 Go to commentsEtzebeth went on to say: “I would never dream of saying that systems stay in place following a change in captain. To say that would be deeply, deeply, disrespectful of Siya. A while back an Irish person told me they would be fine without Sexton, so I’m just responding to that.”
3 Go to commentsClose games are what we want to see…. What a match it was…. I am sure that everyone was drained by the end of it. The reality of it all there has to be a winner and a loser. The fact that we still talking about it is almost 6 months to the day Rugby is the winner.. Asante sana… Here is to 2027 and what it will bring out.
195 Go to commentsIt’s going to be a good game. COYQ
1 Go to comments“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
156 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
195 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
195 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to comments