'They have kicked the ball 430 times... That's 200 times more than us'
Sale boss Alex Sanderson has prepared his players for a “scrum scrap” and “maul war” against Premiership leaders Leicester that will decide what should be a ferocious contest.
Sanderson has forensically examined why Leicester under his old mate Steve Borthwick have been so successful this season and said: ”We need a maul war and a scrum scrap. They have kicked the ball 430 times we have kicked it 260 and we thought we were kick happy! That’s 200 times more than us and it is what we do in all those little battles on the back of every kick over 80 minutes will determine the outcome if we get parity in the set piece.
“All the teams that kick the best and control territory generally win the game. The gas and x-factor – taking the opportunity when it is on – separates the best teams on the scoreline. We know against Leicester that if we don’t get our defensive maul right – they have mauled 34 out of the last 40 line outs – we will get battered. They also win a lot of scrum penalties.”
With Sale down in 10th place and 19n points behind Gloucester in fourth, they cannot let the gap increase or face the prospect of not making the play-offs for a second successive season. “That is the elephant in the room:” he said.” We passed the halfway point last week against Ospreys of the season and are full aware we have to win over and over again. We have the talent to do that if we keep performing and Leicester is a huge one in terms of a statement of intent.”
Sanderson has enjoyed helping AJ McGinty and Rob du Preez create a new mid-field threat for the team and added: “AJ is going to Bristol next year but he loves to learn and get better and we are providing that and why he is still so motivated. I wasn’t aware of how good he was and there was the Rob du Preez situation as well and Eddie Jones opened my eyes about the archetypal 10-12-13.
“It’s is more about getting your best backs on the field and you generally need two first receivers one from set-piece and one in phase – one on open and one on blind to manage the game with more reality. I really believe there has been a rebirth in Rob’s career in that centre position with that run, kick pass threat like Sam James.
“You need one back who is able to play tight with the forwards, a couple who can kick-pass and the rest gas. That gives you the ability to play all types of game.”
Comments on RugbyPass
162 comments so far and counting. i didn't realize that rugby fans are on the way to join the football brothers. what is the point to share personal opinion only to get all this shi*? it seems IRB bosses are doing the great job by killing the spirit of the game both on and outside the pitch. too sad, indeed. btw, was there anything on eben’s point of view from the boys in green, who he mentioned?
163 Go to commentsJob done guys. Great win in a game where things can quickly go wrong.
1 Go to commentsAlex Sanderson fantastic coach and person .So pleased he has signed another contract great days ahead for Sale under his leadership.
1 Go to commentsAndy Goode cant kick to 12
163 Go to commentsDoxed himself. Great work Johnny. You are well suited to the Saders
1 Go to comments_Best game players _
1 Go to commentsWho's Jarrad Hohepa?
1 Go to commentsSo let me get this straight. Say you have the dominant scrum. You are 99% sure you can go for a scrum pushover try on the line to win the game. The opposition knows it too. They give away a silly tap kick instead. You are now not allowed to scrum. This is ridiculous! *%@ing the game up as usual! The fact that the attacking teams are not allowed to scrum from a held up over the line is just as ridiculous. Really world rugby? Careful people might start a rebel league called True Rugby or Real Rugby.
76 Go to comments12 subs during a game? How has that been allowed to happen NB? I hate when the game goes in this monopolistic direction closing up shop, it just becomes non sport. Btw have you seen anything of how Liam Coltman was tracking for Lyon? He has just signed to return to Otago though we have a couple of young hookers developing here. He was a popular gentle natured character down here and I’m glad to see him back but maybe he will be a mentor primarily?
11 Go to commentsGreat breakdown and the global politics always confuses me a little. The southern hemisphere seems to be left out a bit but I wouldn’t even know where to start with fixing it. Club challenge could be a step in the right direction
11 Go to commentsSince he coached Free state, from that time onwards, I maintained he was the coach for the Boks. A nice, no nonsense guy with an excellent brain, who gets results.
11 Go to commentswell - they only played against 14 men and had the TMO team on their side - and still should have lost… so actually that makes sense.
35 Go to commentsSouthern hemisphere Rugby is exactly that, boring. Northern Hemisphere Rugby is soooo much more entertaining and better with better players.
2 Go to commentsIf he was to be cited for a dangerous behavior, then it’s natural that he should be. Then NTamack too, yes? And I’ll add a good whataboutism - Yeandle eye-gouging on Richie Arnold: not cited. Eye-gouging. Not high tackle. Eye-gouging. It was on French TV, with French TV directors.
5 Go to commentsReally poorly written rambling piece ..
11 Go to commentsIt was so boring
2 Go to commentspersonally I’d go with : 1. France 2. NZ 3. England 4. Ireland 5. Scotland
35 Go to commentsAndy everything becomes easier with experience therefor counting etc straight after a match becomes easier when you have 100+ caps vs 17 which is the experience you speak from.
163 Go to commentsGetting rid of the Dupont Law is a good thing and ought to have been done months ago! Officially getting rid of the croc roll is a good thing. The law about no scrums from a short arm is well intended in terms of speeding the game up but it’s an overreaction to a clever yet calculated gamble that could have blow up in South Africa’s face if they conceded a penalty from the scrum that was set after Willemse took claimed the mark in the World Cup QF.
76 Go to commentsRassie The GOAT
11 Go to comments