'You have a drink, the veils drop and they get to shoot at me'
With a big Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final on the horizon next weekend away to Racing, Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson has been making the most of some recent bonding experiences with his coaching staff at the Sharks. It was January 2021 when the ex-Saracens assistant came home to Manchester to take over following the sudden departure the previous month of the long-serving Steve Diamond.
Sanderson arrived in the door determined to be his own man. He opted not to bring in an entourage of his own people, as happens in numerous other rugby set-ups. For instance, look at how the duos of Rassie Erasmus-Jacques Nienaber, Declan Kidney-Les Kiss and Johann van Graan-JP Ferreira appear to be joined at the hip over the years.
Instead, he was happy to inherit the coaches that were already in situ at Sale, the likes of Paul Deacon, Dorian West, Mike Forshaw and Pete Anglesea. Sixteen months later, they are a group that is still very much intact and the Bradford Bulls lineage provided by head coach Deacon and back coach Forshaw has only been strengthened with Jamie Langley coming on board as a peak performance coach.
With the season in England so relentless, getting to know his people while on the job has been the main way that Sanderson has learned over time what his staff are like. However, there has been scope to find out more in recent weeks. Following their Champions Cup win at Bristol, the staff were whisked away on a jolly to Barcelona at the behest of the club for some invaluable R’n’R. And they also had some time out again this weekend, heading along with their wives to the function held on Saturday at Leigh for Rob Burrows.
So what has it been like for Sanderson to build these bonds with his staff at Sale? “You are best off asking them,” he quipped when quizzed by RugbyPass on how he has fared in the last year and a quarter in moulding a backroom that can give the Sharks every chance of succeeding on the pitch and being a success in the Sanderson era.
“Let’s start with trust, a big factor in the relationship. Trust is the main thing that can define a relationship whether you like someone or not. Trusting them and (making sure) that is strong comes down to the three Cs, the communication, their character and their capability. They are very capable coaches, very capable. The character, you can’t question the characters given what they have done in the game when they played and their character from a coaching perspective is without question.
“It’s only the communication, which is an incremental thing, that you have to forge over time and that builds trust, you are willing to trust each other more and that is why we went away (to Barcelona). It’s alright in this environment (the Sale training ground), we are getting on really well and feel like we have got a degree of psychological safety but as soon as you have a drink, the veils drop, don’t they? The facade drops and then you get to see what people are really like. They get to shoot at me stuff that they probably wouldn’t have said in-house.
“I find that a really strange thing because I grew up with those lads and I don’t want to mention the S-word (Saracens) because I have said it enough, but I grew up with those lads and knew them for 20 years. There was never a bad conversation or a heated conversation that would drag and despite me having that title of head coach over there (on the trip to Spain), it wasn’t like do as I say and they did. It was linear management, a discussion and I just collated the information to a large degree.
“It is different, that is what I found (being the boss). A perception that comes with the title is if the boss eats bananas you eat bananas, all those cliches ring true. There is also that thing about people that is psychological – when you inherit a title, you become the title. I don’t want to and still don’t want to change my management style from what I know works, which is one of collaboration.
“That bonding experience that we had, and we are going to Rob Burrows charity do this weekend at Leigh Centurions which will be very interesting with all our wives, all of that trust, all of that friendship is good in a working environment. I know we can still get better as time goes on.
“I hoped that I could fast track the ten or 20 years that I had in my last organisation to somewhere closer to two or three which we have to if we want to achieve things here because it is always my ambition to evolve, not revolve. I want to bring it on as I grow as opposed to bringing someone which is the easy option.”
What has Sanderson learned most in his 16 months in charge at Sale? “I can always definitely be better delegating. The neuropsychologist that came in is coming in again next week. He spoke to us about how every conversation that you have, the outcome of which is never neutral. It is never, ever neutral.
“Even if it is taken slightly positive or slightly negatively, it is always going to be one way. There is no conversation that you have that sits on the fence and as a director of rugby, I am now more aware of that than I ever was.
“It kind of stops you enjoying what you do sometimes because an off-hand comment or something said in jest or you don’t see someone and greet them in the right manner because you might be on the phone or have something on your mind, it sits with them more than it would have done if I was just a work colleague or if I wasn’t a director of rugby. It makes you more aware of your engagements with people because you have a bigger gravitas I guess.”
Comments on RugbyPass
It couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
25 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
25 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
82 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
1 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
44 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to comments