What Jonny Hill, Maro Itoje have told the Premiership final teams
England forward Jonny Hill has urged Sale Sharks to seize the moment when they contest their first Gallagher Premiership final for 17 years on Saturday. Five-time champions Saracens stand between Sale and silverware at Twickenham in a heavyweight battle of two clubs fresh from dominating the 20-game regular league season.
While Saracens have reached eight Premiership finals, Sale’s solitary appearance came in 2006 when players like Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto, Charlie Hodgson and Sebastien Chabal starred in a 45-20 mauling of Leicester.
Having booked a belated return trip to English rugby’s showpiece domestic occasion, Sale lock Hill – a veteran of four Premiership finals with his previous club Exeter – knows the opportunity must not be allowed to pass them by.
“I brought it up in a meeting this week that we don’t want to go there, enjoy the day and occasion, think we have had a really good season, let’s go and win it next year,” Hill said.
“You never know, we might not get there for another 17 years, so let’s make the most of this weekend. How we do that, there are ways and techniques.
“A lot of these boys have never been to Twickenham, not even as a fan, so it was important to have a look at it all on Friday so that once we rock up on Saturday we will just be focused on the rugby and putting our best forward. We are in uncharted territory, really.
“There are quite a lot of players who haven’t experienced that big game in a big arena. It will be very close to a Test match, if not right there. Our preparation this week has been geared towards the hardest game we will have to play.
“Sale have got a golden crop of young lads coming through, which Exeter had. I see a lot of comparisons, although this time around I am one of the older ones!”
Sale rugby director Alex Sanderson has made one enforced change from the side that beat semi-final opponents Leicester, with flanker Sam Dugdale replacing an injured Ben Curry, while number eight Jono Ross skippers the Sharks on his final appearance before retirement.
It means a Twickenham chance for home-grown northern talent like full-back Joe Carpenter, wing Arron Reed and scrum-half Gus Warr, and Hill is enthused by what the young brigade have brought this term.
“Their biggest strength is that they are really relaxed – I don’t think they know what they are doing at the minute!” Hill added. “They will look back at some point and realise how massive it was, but they are just rolling with the punches and going week to week. They don’t get ahead of themselves.
“These are the best days you are going to have at club level. When you reach a Premiership final, the environment is of course very good. What Al (Sanderson) has created, what the squad has created for that to come to fruition is very, very impressive.”
Saracens boss Mark McCall also makes one switch after the play-offs, with loosehead prop Eroni Mawi preferred to England international Maku Vunipola, who is among the replacements.
McCall’s men were edged out by Leicester in a gripping final 12 months ago, and it is four years since they last lifted the title. Saracens and England lock Maro Itoje said: “We’ve had a lot of experience in these big games and these scenarios, but it is about who puts themselves on the front foot.
“It’s about who stands up and is counted on the day. We do have experience, but the challenge is to make that experience count.
“It is fair that number one plays number two in the league. I think the play-off system keeps the games and the league interesting and exciting. I have been a part of teams that have finished fourth and gone on to win it, so I do think the play-off system adds an extra element of buzz and excitement.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Let’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
4 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
1 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
4 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to commentsDanny Care. Lang in die tand.
1 Go to commentsBig empty stadium does nothing for atmosphere but munster are playing well with solid performance
1 Go to commentsYes, Fiji can win the World Cup! With that belief plus their christian faith🙏 and hard work it is achievable. Great article. Ian Duncan Fiji resident 1981-84
2 Go to commentsInteresting comments about Touch. England’s hosting the Touch World Cup this year and the numbers have exploded since their last World Cup in 2019, something like 70% more teams and 40 nations taking part. And England Touch have made a big thing about how many universities are in their BUCS University Touch Championship as well as Sport England membership. Can only see this growing even more domestically as more people become aware of it
10 Go to comments“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
4 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
4 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
4 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
38 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
4 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
2 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to comments