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'They are on the radar': The unheralded Sale players England are considering as potential summer tour picks
New Sale boss Alex Sanderson is delighted that his inclination to give youth a chance at the Sharks resulted in a visit to Manchester this week by England assistant Matt Proudfoot amid speculation that loosehead Bevan Rodd, tighthead James Harper and scrum-half Raffi Quirke are all possible summer tour picks for Eddie Jones.
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England have July tour matches planned in America against Scotland, the USA and Canada and there is speculation that Jones will select numerous unheralded youngsters while his front-liners are away in South Africa with the Lions.
Rodd, the 20-year-old loosehead who is also Scottish eligible, made an initial breakthrough at Sale under Steve Diamond but he has really come to the fore in recent months under Sanderson, starting on eight occasions and featuring twice as a sub in the new director of rugby’s ten games so far at the club.
Quirke, another 20-year-old, has also come to prominence under Sanderson, making one start and five sub appearances in recent weeks while prop Harper, also 20, was given a debut off the bench last month. “We have had Proudfoot, the scrum coach, down to have a look at him [Rodd], have a chat so he is on the radar as is Harper, as is Raffi, as is Josh Beaumont,” revealed Sanderson at the Sale media conference ahead of this Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final at La Rochelle.
“They are on the radar, which is really good. It shows the form they are in on the back of some of the performances the team have put in over the last few weeks. It was just last week, he [Proudfoot] just called up last week to see if he could come in (on Tuesday).
"I know he is on the England radar and is very highly rated"
– Alex Sanderson sounds delighted with the depth coming through at Sale No9#PremRugby #NORvSALhttps://t.co/o0PQWcceJU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 10, 2021
“They have got the tour on the horizon and I’m sure they are just looking at some of these young lads who weren’t on my radar, to be honest, when I came here. I didn’t know too much about Bevan Rodd and Ewan Ashman (Scotland U20s) or Raffi Quirke but stepping in and seeing them train, it’s like, ‘Wow, these boys have got some talent’,” continued Sale boss Sanderson, who joined the Premiership club in January.
“I have rotated them in and I have played them and they have played really well so they have probably moved up the pecking order in terms of England succession plans as well. I can only assume, I don’t know how it works but you play well for your club you get noticed by your country. That is the way it has worked in the past.”
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It was June 2019 when 29-year-old Beaumont skippered an England XV against the Barbarians at Twickenham and the uncapped second row is another that has risen to prominence at Sale in recent weeks following a lengthy spell out of the game with a serious injury. “He has led really well. There was a question of would he have played if Lood (de Jager) had been around? This is my point about bringing in people who are really high calibre and you need that in the Champions Cup.
“He led against Wasps two weeks ago, we got four yellow cards and he brought a team through (to win) which shows exceptional leadership qualities and that is when things aren’t going well for you. Then when things are going well for you, as they did last weekend (at Scarlets), he kept them on it for 80 minutes. Aside from his playing ability he has got good leadership qualities as well. We’ll miss Lood but we are happy to have both.”
Speculation emerged at the weekend that the giant Sale lock was a Springboks doubt to face the Lions following latest injury blow https://t.co/mumFR4uB38
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments