Ed. A big thank you to Matt Ferguson who has compiled reports from yesterday's Singha 7s tournament at Kingston Park that saw Sale progress as Pool D runners-up behind Newcastle. I have added some additional thoughts at the end. Newcastle Falcons 31-12 Sale Sharks Sale started very brightly against a Newcastle team that before today hadn’t lost a Premiership Sevens group game. Nick Scott (on trial this summer) was impressive going forward and Matt Rogerson displayed great strength to tie up a couple of Newcastle defenders before he was able to barrel over after a period of sustained pressure. Player of the Round Paolo Odogwu scored his first try of the day after a nice offload from Scott, slipping the tackle on the outside and finishing in the corner. Tom Morton dully converted with an excellent touchline conversion. The rest of the half was fairly scrappy, with Sale’s defence working well as a unit, strangling the potent Newcastle attack, but with Sale unable to keep from making offensive mistakes themselves. Half Time 12-0 (Rogerson, Odogwu, conv. Morton) The second half started badly, and got progressively worse, as Sale shipped five unanswered tries in the half to ultimately lose in decisive fashion. Tom Curry and Rogerson were both slow to close a defensive gap, and Joel Hodgson darted through for the Falcons’ first try. Newcastle then started to dominate the aerial game, keeping possession on the restart, and two more tries were conceded after poor one-on-one missed tackles from James Mitchell and later, Morton. For Newcastle’s fourth, their attacking pressure told after several good half-breaks, and no individual Sale player was really to blame when the Falcons eventually breached the line. The final try was the worst of the lot, George Nott slapping a restart backwards, straight into the arms of an onrushing Falcon who dotted down to end the game. Full Time 31-12 Leicester Tigers 7-55 Sale Sharks Sale’s second game against Leicester could hardly have started more ominously, a Leicester player claiming the high ball from the kick-off to score within the first ten seconds. Odogwu brought back parity after a good charge from Rogerson, the former Tiger finishing well after slipping the defender’s outside arm on the touchline. Sale’s next try was a throwback to last year, a scrum shove winning the ball against the head, and Mitchell dancing over from the resulting defensive disarray. Nick Scott again showed his class at this level, bursting around an outside shoulder off first phase ball and delivering out to Odogwu who continued his fine scoring record. It was Odogwu who would score Sale’s last of the half, ensuring the bonus point after some smart heads-up rugby from each of the Curry twins and after exhibiting his own fancy footwork, slicing inside the outside man in the Leicester defensive line to dot down and secure a first-half hat-trick. Half Time 24-7 (Odogwu x3, Mitchell, conv. Mitchell x2) Leicester had played with five men in the previous game due to yellow cards, and their collective fatigue showed as Sale put the hammer down emphatically in the second half, scoring a further five tries to banish memories of their dismal second half showing against Falcons. A Curry-to-Curry cross-field kick was an early highlight of the half, leading to a short-range try for Rogerson, his second of the day. Sam Bedlow was the next to crash over, after some lovely balanced running through a gap created by the footwork of Mitchell. A second Tom Curry assist allowed Odogwu to bag another, before Ben Curry scored the archetypal sevens try, Sale pulling the Leicester defence from side to side until the necessary gap was manufactured. Ben Curry scored his second to finish affairs cutting inside of an errant tackle to go over and ensure that Sale would finish the second game having completely overwhelmed an understandably shattered Leicester. Full Time 55-7 (Rogerson, Bedlow, Odogwu, B Curry x2, conv. Mitchell, Morton) Sale Sharks 31-0 Worcester Warriors Worcester were also unfortunate enough to have to play back-to-back games and from the start the lack of pace in the Worcester team was evident. After a smart steal by Ben Curry at ruck-time, Nick Scott surged over, showing both dramatic acceleration and good strength to burst through a half-gap having taken a step back with the ball before propelling himself through two defenders. Odogwu scored his sixth of the day after an exquisite blind offload from Rogerson, who seemed wrapped up but was able to flip the ball to the elusive winger. The rest of the half was very scrappy, Sale forcing Worcester to play from their own 22. For five of the six halves played (the exception being the 2nd half against Newcastle), Sale’s defensive looked very cohesive and co-ordinated, several times able to alleviate pressure by forcing attacking players up into a maul, a hallmark of the senior XVs side in recent years. Half Time 12-0 (Scott, Odogwu, conv. Mitchell) Sale would go on to score three more tries against a tiring Worcester side, who were unable to play out of their own half and seriously threaten Sale territorially. Odogwu slid around the outside man to score in the corner yet again, before Mitchell danced and weaved his way through the middle, Worcester’s defence hesitant to commit because of the outside threat posed by Odogwu. Indeed it was Odogwu who would finish Sale’s scoring for the day, working the space nicely by stepping inside the wide defender, who had no choice but to commit on the outside, to run in his eight try of the afternoon. The game was finished as a contest fairly early, and neither side went hell-for-leather in the second half, understandably. Full Time 31-0 (Odogwu x2, Mitchell, conv. Mitchell x2) So Sale go through to the final weekend after an excellent day’s work. The group was very competitive, and the fact that Sale were able to avoid back-to-back games was key, as they were noticeable better rested than their opponents in the latter two games. Importantly , they were also able to keep their fitness levels at an optimum level due to their exemplary discipline on the day (no yellow cards across the three games). Fixture luck aside, to keep Leicester and Worcester virtually scoreless across the final two games is testament to Sale’s professional execution of their defensive system, and the use of Odogwu as both a try scorer and as a threat that keeps defenders occupied showed an excellent level of game intelligence. Player RatingsA note: Sale rotated their squad a lot less than in previous years, sticking with a fairly well-defined starting 7, so I am unable to give ratings or comments for some of the squad members. 1. Tom Curry – 6/10 Good day for the youngster, showing a rounded skillset in attack, and enough pace and physicality to cover the defensive line. 2. Ben Curry – 7/10 Similar to his brother, a good tournament, bagging a brace of tries. Also showed good hands for a forward, and both look easily big enough for this level of competition. The question now is how quickly and how successfully they can move up to the top level of XVs. Their rugby intelligence shows very clearly, neither are caught panicking on the ball. 3. Matt Rogerson – 8/10 Unsung hero for the day. A couple of defensive lapses where his lack of pace was exploited, but his bruising ball-carrying was crucial in generating momentum. Stunning offload in the Leicester game was my personal highlight of the day. Promisingly, he runs very smart attacking lines when coming onto the ball, an uncommon trait for a backrower of his experience. 4. Andy Hughes – n/a Didn’t play, as far as I saw. 5. George Nott – n/a Not enough game time to properly judge, but looked dependable enough when called upon. 6. James Mitchell – 7/10 Mitchell looks a very classy sevens player when given time and space, and although he wasn’t able to score at the same rate as last year (when he finished second in the scoring charts behind only Christian Wade), he had a very productive day in attack. However, he was shunted aside for one of Newcastle’s tries, and caught cold from the kick-off for Leicester’s, which put a bit of a cloud on an otherwise strong performance. 7. Curtis Langdon – n/a Didn’t play, as far as I saw. 8. Sam Bedlow – 6/10 Fine. Lovely balance when running and able to change direction at pace, both of which are enviable traits for up-and-coming centres. A bit quieter than other players going forwards, although his distribution was secure, and no noticeable blemishes defensively. 9. Paolo Odogwu – 9/10 My MVP, and the weekend’s top scorer (so far) with an eight-try haul. Sale have stolen an absolute gem from Leicester. Faster feet than anyone else playing today, on any team, and a very composed presence out wide. Defensively excellent, looked sharp in the air, and a finisher’s touch out wide. Extremely slippery. Like a normal winger, but covered in Vaseline. 10. Nick Scott – 7/10 No pyrotechnics of the Nev Edwards sort from this year’s trialist, but he’s clearly better than this level of rugby, showcasing a very reliable offload and genuine pace, as well as a good rugby brain. Still young enough at 26, he will have done his chances of getting a full contract no harm today. Will be champing at the bit at the finals next weekend. 11. Tom Morton – 5/10 Not a great day for Sale’s third-choice 10, beaten badly one-on-one against Newcastle, and not able to show much in attack across the rest of the games. Dependable enough when distributing, his touchline conversion after Sale’s first try was his only real highlight. 12. Charlie Venables – n/a Hardly played, but showed a lovely jinking step in the only real time he had on the ball. Confident player, expect him to be used more next weekend as the intensity is ramped up. Thoughts
Matt Ferguson's Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis and opinions on all things Sale Sharks.
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This report is slightly different from previous weeks, as I begin to cover players who do not appear on the official squad list for the Sale Jets. However, as these players turned out for the Jets last season, I think it is worthwhile to cover their progress. These players tend to be the top talents in the North-West playing below Championship level, generally under the age of 25. SHAUN STRUDWICK – PROP/HOOKER – 25 Starting his career in the Wasps academy, Strudwick is already well-travelled for a prop despite being relatively young for the position. He spent time in Edinburgh, New Zealand and Chicago before settling in the North-West for Chester in the National League Two (North) last season. Strudwick started his career as a hooker, but in recent seasons has been played more regularly as a tight-head prop. Indeed, he has been in possession of the starting 3 jersey for Chester over much of the last season, as they finished 11th out of 16. This represents good progress, as he had previously suffered a bad back injury leading him to miss the 2014/15 season for Edinburgh. For Chester, he made 26 appearances, of which 25 were starts, reflecting the immediate impact he made as the incumbent tight-head. With the Jets last season, Strudwick appeared in the Jets’ first two games of the season against Worcester Cavaliers and Leicester A. In both games he came off the bench as a replacement tight-head, replacing young first-teamer Ciaran Parker. The replacement tight-head spot was covered in the following Jets games by Diogo Ferreira, already covered in this series, and reflects the fact that Strudwick is very unlikely to break into Sale Sharks’ first team. For the upcoming season, I expect Strudwick to continue to build experience at lower-league level, in either England or one of the Celtic leagues below the PRO12. From what I can find online, Strudwick seems committed to coaching, particularly on the conditioning and fitness side, so perhaps he sees his future as part of the backroom team rather than a high-level representative on the field. BRENDAN BERRY – HOOKER – 20 Brendan Berry is a hooker who came through the Myerscough Academy, representing the England Colleges and Schools team in 2014 and Lancashire under-20 in late 2015. In contrast to Strudwick, Brendan Berry has already made 20 senior appearances at the tender age of 20, playing last season for Macclesfield and the season before for Sedgley Park, both times in the National League Two (North). Primarily a bench option (1 start in 10 appearances last season, and the exact same the season before), Berry was nevertheless trusted to do a job at the end of games for Macclesfield who emerged victors of the division. He finished the season without scoring, but with a yellow card against his old club Sedgley Park, which led to their fourth try in a narrow loss against Berry’s new side Macclesfield. Last season Berry made three appearances for Sale’s Jets side, starting in the games against Worcester Cavaliers and Newcastle A, and coming off the bench against Leicester A. Next season, Berry may well find himself behind Ben Martin if he continues to appear for the Jets, Martin being a regular fixture for Sale’s under-18 over the last season and having already made an appearance for the Jets at age 18. The number 2 spot looks very competitive below first-team level for Sale Sharks, with Berry and Martin joining Johnny Matthews and Ted Stagg as non-first-teamers who hooked for Sale’s second string last season. FORBES EDWARDS – CENTRE/WINGER This week’s final player who isn’t formally listed as a Jet is Caldy’s Forbes Edwards. No relation to first-teamer Nev Edwards (as far as I’m aware!), Edwards is described as a “powerful centre/wing” who has recently represented Cheshire alongside his club duties. Originally from Cardiff RFC, he made one appearance for their first team, against Dinas Powys in an early-season game in the 2007/08 season. I cannot find an exact date of birth for Edwards online, but that date would suggest that he is roughly 28. He joined Caldy for the 2015/16 season after a storming campaign for Sandbach the year before, in the National League Three (Midlands), a season in which he finished 3rd in the league’s try-scoring charts. Perhaps there is a comparison with Nev Edwards to be made after all – a high-flying outside back being picked up by Sale Sharks for a couple of trial games. Edwards made three starts for the Jets last season, once at inside centre against Leicester A, and twice at outside centre against Newcastle A and Northampton Wanderers. He also came on off the bench against Gloucester United. I can’t see anything more than another season at National League Two or One level for Edwards, despite his excellent record of 8 tries from 29 starts for Caldy last season. MATT ROGERSON – BACK ROW – 22 Matt Rogerson was listed as a Jet for the 2015/16 season, and is listed again for the upcoming season. Rogerson has followed a similar path to Josh Beaumont, opting to complete his university education before considering rugby full-time. Fortunately, Rogerson studied at Loughborough University (2011-2015), whose team is considered the best university side in the country, and play in the third-tier National League One league. Despite graduating in 2015, Rogerson made eight consecutive appearances for the Midlands side from March onwards, playing 80 minutes in each. This is a measure of the extent to which he is rated as a prospect, and he showed his ability with three tries across those eight starts. Again, I can’t find a fixed date of birth for Rogerson, but assuming that he entered university straight from sixth form, he would be 22 at the start of next season. For the Jets, Rogerson started all five games, across the back row: at number 8 against Worcester Cavaliers, Leicester A and Newcastle A, and blindside flanker against Gloucester United and Northampton Wanderers. He also turned out for Sale Sharks in the 2015 Premiership Sevens tournament, showcasing his athleticism and powerful ball-carrying as Sale made the Plate final. He has been selected again for this weekend’s iteration of the annual pre-season event. It’s really tough to say whether Rogerson will make the grade and break into the first-team picture. He was clearly very highly-rated at Loughborough, and his appearances in sevens and for the Jets suggest that the Sharks rate him as well. However, unless there are some serious injuries, it’s difficult to see him making any first-team appearances next season. With at least two players in each position for the back row slots, Sale appear well-stocked in that area of the field, and unless Rogerson is picked to train with the first team for the upcoming season as cover, I think a loan move to a National League One or Championship side would suit all parties. JAKE POPE – LOOSE-HEAD PROP – 19 Continuing last week’s theme, I have saved this week’s best prospect until last. Giant prop Pope is probably the third-best under-20 player in the Sale Sharks set-up, behind George Nott and Ciaran Parker. He has already represented England under-20s, making two appearances in the under-20 Six Nations at the age of just 18. It is extremely unusual for props to play a year “up” in age grade rugby (even propping phenom Paul Hill made his first appearance at the same level at age 19), so this early promotion indicates how highly he is valued in the national set-up. Alongside his international endeavours, Pope benefitted from Sale Sharks’ improved links with Sale FC last season, making 18 appearances on loan for the National League Two (North) side. Of these, 7 were starts, and he even managed 3 tries over the campaign, against Stourbridge, Preston Grasshoppers, and Broadstreet. Pope, who is yet another to come through the Myerscough Academy, began all five Jets games last season on the bench, as a replacement loose-head prop. He was named on the bench for Sale Sharks’ senior side in the Challenge Cup fixture against Newport Gwent Dragons, as you’ll remember several youngsters were, but he was an unused substitute as fellow novice James Flynn was trusted to see out the 80 minutes. Indeed, Flynn is the player I expect Pope to be competing with for first-team chances, as Ross Harrison and Eifion Lewis-Roberts will look to rotate the majority of the minutes for another season. As this is likely to be Lewis-Roberts’ last season as a starting option (his starts in the Premiership have already fallen from 14 in 2014/15 to 8 in 2015/16) and given that he will be out-of-contract and 36 by the end of the season, it is Flynn’s best chance to prove that he is ready to take on a rotation role supporting Harrison. If Flynn fails to convince Diamond, Pope may find himself thrust into action in a similar way to that which Harrison, Henry Thomas and Lee Imiolek have been in previous years. Diamond has shown that even with props, he is willing to trust players as young as 20 at Premiership level. In pre-season videos posted by the club, Pope looks massive; definitely big enough for top level rugby, dwarfing James Flynn and Diogo Ferreira. This could be what is generously called “pre-season bulk” to be shed over the next few weeks’ training, but nevertheless Pope is carrying a very impressive frame for an 18 year old. The other development option for Pope is that is that he continues his progress out on loan for another season, letting him experience regular game-time, and gaining the benefits (particularly in scrummaging) that come from that. However, the way that Sale Sharks have held back Flynn and Parker instead of loaning them out in previous seasons would suggest that Pope will more likely be kept training with the first-team squad as cover. Next week, I will continue to mix in Jets who are not listed on the official club page, casting an eye over the seasons had by Tom Sanders, Ben Martin, Ted Stagg, Connor Wilkinson, and new signing Paolo Odogwu (a team-mate of Rogerson’s at Loughborough University). The ages shown are the players’ ages on the 1st September 2016, normally the start of the Premiership season, and all statistics are compiled from rugby.statbunker.com and the relevant organising bodies (ERC, PRL, etc). Also, the term “loan” is used where “dual-registration” may be more accurate, for the sake of brevity. Matt Ferguson doesn’t think Jake Pope will be playing sevens for Sale Sharks any time soon. His Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, opinions, and analysis on all things Sale Sharks. Concluding possibly the busiest week in The Shark Tank's history, Friday morning saw the announcement that Samoan flanker TJ Ioane has signed a new three-year-deal with Sale Sharks. Ioane joins Byron McGuigan, Josh Beaumont, Mike Haley, and Bryn Evans in committing their long-term future to the club, a huge boost for the Sharks given that all four are integral members of Sale's first-choice lineup - first names on the teamsheet if you will. Ioane, 27, joined Sale from Otago in January 2015 and instantly became a cult figure at the club with his combination of abrasive ball-carrying, ferocity in tackles, incredible motor and distinctive dreadlocks. He also happens to be my favourite player. But my personal biases shouldn't detract from the notion that this is once again a huge move for the club both on and off the field. Ioane is what I like to call a 'toolkit' player as his versatility in position and plethora of talents allow him to fill any number of roles within the Sale first team. Ioane can slot in anywhere along the backrow (he played all three last season) but he is as comfortable functioning in the 'super-sub' role where his tireless energy wreaks havoc against tiring defences. Off the pitch, this once again builds on the aura of positivity and excitement revolving around the club. Sale are clearly laying the groundwork for future seasons by locking up and building around the spine of their first-choice XV , so refreshing after years of having said spine ripped out at the end of each season. Sale fans finally have the luxury of knowing that four of their most prominent players have been retained with aplomb and that further deals are in the off. Interestingly, Steve Diamond implied that Ioane had already been scouted by rival clubs looking to potentially lure the Samoan international away from Manchester at the end of the season. If true, it only reinforces that players are buying into the notion of a new era at the club and that they believe their long-term future is best settled with the Sharks. Again, a huge boon after years of players citing international ambitions and opportunities to win trophies as motives for leaving Sale. Ioane will probably start the season as Sale's first-choice openside flanker, although that could change depending on how frequently Cameron Neild is deployed at hooker as the season progresses. Should Neild be moved, either Ioane-Seymour or Pearce-Ioane will likely assume the role of the go-to pairing at flanker. Regardless, Ioane will be a ubiquitous presence in the Sale first-team next year, and, pleasingly, for three seasons after! Lewis Hughes can now feel reasonably confident in investing in a 'Ioane 7' shirt. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Continuing the spate of good news emanating from Sale Sharks this week was the announcement that last season's standout performer Bryn Evans has signed a new three-year-deal with the club. Evans was a relatively low-key acquisition by Steve Diamond last season, brought in from a relegated Biarritz in France to bolster Sale's second row depth hit by the losses of Michael Paterson and Nathan Hines. However Evans immediately entrenched himself as one of the Sharks' most integral players, turning in a magnanimous season that saw him earn plaudits as one of the most effective locks in the entire Premiership. Winning the Players' Player of the Season award was a testament to the impact the twice-capped All Black had in his first season in Manchester but particular attention must be placed on his ability in the lineout. With Evans operating as the main receiver (and lineout captain after Josh Beaumont's season was ended prematurely), Sale's set-piece was the Premiership's most efficient in 2015-16, winning an outstanding 92% of their own throws with Evans the jumper for 33% of the Sharks' 258 total lineout wins.* Furthermore Evans also proved myself as the league's most disruptive players - his 16 lineout steals comfortably lead the Premiership last season. His turnover on the Sale try-line against Northampton to kill the game back in October also proved a particular highlight in a superb season marked by exceptional consistency. As I wrote about on Monday pertaining to Josh Beaumont and Mike Haley's new deals, this is once again a testament to the progress Sale are beginning to make under their new ownership. Evans was, at times, irreplaceable for Sale last season and will continue to be so next season as Sale's undisputed first-choice lock. Ensuring, therefore, such an important player with a multi-faceted impact on the entire Sale stratagem has been locked-up long-term (before the season has begun!) is another clear indicator that the Sharks are intent on doing whatever it takes to keep the 'core' of the squad intact and now have the means to take the initiative early in the season and prevent an exodus akin to in previous seasons. Now attention turns to either Will Addison or TJ Ioane. If Steve Diamond is able to lock those two up on similar long-term deals, the most important retentions Sale have to make for the sake of competitiveness will have been completed well before the new season has even begun. An exciting time indeed. *Statistics courtesy of UK Rugby Stats (http://ukrugbystats.co.uk/AVIVA-PREMIERSHIP-STATS-2015-16) Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, opinions and analysis on all things Sale Sharks. Sale Sharks announced their tenth signing ahead of the 2016-17 season with the capture of Byron McGuigan from Exeter Chiefs on a two-year-deal. McGuigan, 26, is a Namibian-Scottish fullback with the ability to cover outside centre and wing. He featured 18 times for Exeter over the past two seasons and has also had spells with Glasgow Warriors (Pro 12), Bay of Plenty (ITM Cup), Border Bulldogs (Currie Cup) and Scotland 7's. In all honesty this isn't going to be a signing to set the world alight, especially after weeks of rumoured arrivals of Kyle Eastmond or even Ben Ransom. But I still really like this acquisition. Why? Squad depth. With incumbent fullback Mike Haley likely to miss the opening rounds of the new season having suffered a disclosed shoulder on tour with the Saxons in South Africa, Sale were faced with the prospect of having either Dan Mugford (a fly-half) or Tim Jeffers (untested at Premiership level) start the season in the Sharks' no.15 jersey. McGuigan solves that conundrum nicely. This is how this signing has to be viewed - McGuigan isn't exactly the marquee name many fans are hoping will still materialise before the season, but he does represent a more mature and balanced approach to managing the first team that will come under considerable strain this season, especially with participation in the European Champions Cup. Most importantly, signing McGuigan now gives Sale the luxury of having a genuine backup to Mike Haley who played an averaged 72 minutes in the 27 appearances he made last season. For a scale of how heavily Haley was depended on last season, Sale only played 29 competitive fixtures. Such a usage rate is clearly unsustainable, especially if Sale expect to see Haley repeat the form that won him a callup to the England Saxons this summer. And whilst there is likely to be a drop-off between Haley and McGuigan in terms of on-field impact, having somebody else who can step in at the position in a pinch and alleviate the burden on Haley will ensure he remains at his most impactful all season long. It also means Tom Arscott can remain on the left wing opposite Will Addison until Josh Charnley has settled into the 15-man code. McGuigan's arrival also provides cover should Haley be called up for international duty during the season (an increasingly likely possibility following his starring turn in South Africa) and, of course, in the case of injuries along the backline; McGuigan's versatility could prove extremely important should Tom Arscott's and Josh Charnley's starts to the new season be delayed further or if Sam James has to spend time on the treatment table. Long-term this is probably a stopgap signing until Tim Jeffers is ready to step up and compete with Haley for the no.15 jersey, but until then McGuigan should be a handy squad player that gives Steve Diamond and Paul Deacon the flexibility they need to manage the squad in order to maximise fitness and form over the course of a nine-month season. Interestingly, a two-year deal suggests Diamond and Deacon have hopes that McGuigan can perhaps kick on from his Exeter days and solidify himself an important place in the Sharks' rotation, rather than just using him as a year-long plug-in option until additional signings can be made next year. Overall this is a low-risk, medium-reward move that if nothing else slightly eases the burden on Sale's star backline players. And after years of bemoaning Sale's paper-thin squad depth, this is a welcome sign that the Sharks are intent on having a multitude of options in every position to better prepare themselves for participation in three separate competitions this year. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. On the heels of news that Kyle Eastmond will join Wasps, rather than Sale, for the 2016-17 season, the Sharks responded with their own, potentially more significant statement of intent on Monday morning, announcing that number eight and new club captain Josh Beaumont has penned a three(!) year contract extension. In addition, a slip up from Premiership Rugby a few hours later revealed that fullback Mike Haley has joined Beaumont in pledging his next three years to the Sharks. Expect to see that news made official at 6am tomorrow morning (Tuesday). Without resorting too drastically to hyperbole, this could very well mark a new beginning for Sale Sharks. Plagued for so long by a cyclical combination of low attendances, limited financial capabilities, and a perceived lack of domestic ambition, the last half-decade has proved to be a tumultuous time for Sale and their supporters having watched a conveyor belt of young, home-grown players with genuine international aspirations leave the club in search of greener pastures in Coventry. The list is long and makes for frustrating reading. I won't repeat it here. But today, with the news that Beaumont - arguably the most promising player to come through the Sale academy in the last decade and who has already received England international recognition - has made a long-term commitment to the Sharks, it potentially signals that the flood of North-West rugby talent moving south to further their careers will finally dry up. The announcement of Beaumont's extension this morning was cathartic enough, especially as fans were already beginning to fear the talented backrower could be lured away at season's end to a club pushing with greater regularity for silverware i.e. Tommy Taylor. But the leaked news that Mike Haley has likewise opted to remain with Sale until the 2019-20 season has proven to be a second boon for the club as a new season draws closer, the new era under CorpAcq ownership begins and optimism envelops the club and fanbase. What is particularly encouraging about the extensions for Messrs. Beaumont and Haley however is that securing the long-term commitment of two of Sale's most promising players before the season has even begun suggests that the Sharks are finally operating in a position of strength in regards to negotiating new contracts. For one, the new ownership group has helped establish a palpable aura of ambition around the club with all indications suggesting there is now a clear, long-term vision for Sale Sharks RUFC - something noticeably lacking in the waning years of Brian Kennedy's ownership. That both Beaumont and Haley alluded to the new ownership group as a rationale in committing themselves to Sale Sharks is evidence that there is now a strategy in place to sell young English players with international ambitions on staying in Manchester - and the players are buying in. And as mercantile as it sounds, one can also infer that Steve Diamond now has the funds at his behest to immediately offer his most sought-after players lucrative contracts in line with the other clubs in the Premiership top-six. It is not ideal but this is the new Premiership Yet is the length of said extensions for Beaumont and Haley that also add to the excitement emanating from the club. As professional rugby continues to grow increasingly acquisitive, it is shorter deals (typically one or two years) that have become the market norm, hence why Exeter (Slade, Nowell, Cowan-Dickie) or Saracens (Itoje, Kruis) locking up their own English stalwarts earlier this year, before their final contracted season began, was such big news. Not only have Sale managed to do likewise - thus eliminating any potential contract-related distractions - they've also removed that distraction for another four years. Beaumont and Haley figure to be cornerstones of the Sale first team until 2020 at the very least - this is the long-term planning and ambition that has been so desperately missing from the Sharks in recent years. It is also an encouraging first hurdle cleared by the club's new owners. Sale can talk about stopping the north-south talent drain and consistently attaining top-four finishes all they please but unfortunately in recent years the actions to support such conjecture has been sorely lacking. CorpAcq and Simon Orange have so far made the routine sound bites in talking about Sale's ambitions in the near and long-term - challenging for trophies, consistent play-off challengers, Northern Powerhouse etc. But green-lighting Steve Diamond (and giving him the resources) to ensure Sale's top players recommit to the club, well before they are set to leave, is a promising first declaration that this is an ownership group who will 'put their money where their mouth is' as it were. Two final points. First, it is telling that negotiations new deals with Beaumont and Haley appears to have taken precedence over all other players with expiring contracts at the club. Even if the rumoured extensions for Will Addison, TJ Ioane and Bryn Evans do materialise in the next few days, the sequencing of announcements is indicative of Beaumont and Haley's now-solidified roles as the new faces of Sale Sharks in a post-Danny Cipriani world. Beaumont and Haley are young, English and from the local area - marketing gold for a Premiership rugby club recasting its identity in a sporting landscape saturated by football and rugby league. Finally, congratulations to Josh Beaumont on being named the new club captain for the 2016-17 season. Perhaps an inevitable choice given his background (i.e. Bill Beuamont Lions captain), I wrote back in September of last year why Josh was the obvious choice to succeed Dan Braid in the role. I argued at the time handing the 24-year-old the captaincy could be a savvy tool to help ensure a player of Beaumont's calibre remained at the club beyond the 2016-17 season and Monday's announcement suggests that Sale have made it clear this definitively Beaumont's team. Should this early-season trend of ambitious progressivism continue in how Sale builds its team for the future, some very exciting times could lay ahead. Just get Will Addison signed up next. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Matt Ferguson's series 'The Long-Term View' will return on Friday. Ed. Heather Akehurst, who helps run the @RugbySaleSharks account as part of the wider Rugby United initiative, has kindly sent along the report she wrote after attending Sale's summer BBQ event on Thursday. I was there in Manchester, doing my day job, when George Osborne announced the creation of a Northern Powerhouse that would rival the Southern cities economically. A somewhat nebulous term it is generally accepted it begins around Liverpool and moves up through Manchester, Leeds and York, with its centre in Manchester. Broadly equivalent to the Sale Sharks ‘catchment’ area. It is intended to build on the existing economic growth and start to create a more level playing field. Therefore there were significant similarities when Sale Sharks’ new Chairman, Fran Cotton, announced that he and the new Board also intend to turn Sale Sharks into a Northern Powerhouse. The last few weeks have been a series of business announcements for Sale Sharks, which have positioned the club in business terms whilst giving strong support for Steve Diamond on the pitch. For any fans worried that these moves will see Dimes ousted let me reassure you, Dimes is very much the catalyst in these moves and yesterday demonstrated not only his grasp on the rugby pitch but within the new business and financial world Sale Sharks are seeking to carve out. It was a very relaxed Dimes yesterday (more so than I’ve ever seen him) although the new rugby season hasn’t started yet! We had the exciting but not unexpected news that Brian Kennedy had relinquished control to Simon Orange of CorpAcq and Ged Mason of Morson International, both local lads with Simon, tellingly, a close friend of Dimes for many years. Simon promised a new Board and made it clear there was money to be spent but the club needed to get on a much sounder business footing to attract and retain not only players but fans. The new primary club sponsor UKFast was announced earlier in the week with Lawrence Jones announcing that it was only the change of ownership plus the combined wiles of Dimes and Mark Cueto (who has hit the ground running as Commercial Director) that brought him back to Sale Sharks. The only thing that worried me was they met him again on a Sale Sharks ski-ing trip!! Are we the only club to enjoy dangerous sports mid-season? The new Board was presented yesterday and is an interesting mix of rugby and business acumen, often in the same package. The big name is of course Fran Cotton who made it very clear he will be active in his new role. Indeed, it was Fran who announced the vision to turn Sale Sharks into a Northern Powerhouse with consistent top 4 finishes whilst vying for trophies every season. Welcomingly, he spoke about continued investment into the Academy and how that will continue to be a strength for the club. These are not just words however as I can confirm (from my vested interest!) that Sale Sharks have expanded their Development Programmes with bigger squads from age 15 upwards. Good news indeed for Cheshire, Merseyside and Manchester grassroots clubs. Other big hitters include Mike Ingall, the property guru, Steve Smith (previously Sale Sharks player, co-founder of Cotton Traders and Chairman of Sale FC), Mike Blood (ex-Sale Sharks player and specialist sponsorship adviser), Dermot Power (who will specifically be looking at the links Sale Sharks have with grassroots rugby to enhance their Academy and presence), Jon Dorsett as CEO (from CorpAcq) and of course Dimes. The press conference and subsequent BBQ was evidence of what Sale Sharks does best. Professional and well-run; but down to earth and true to their roots. It’s clear they intend to retain a family focus and indeed Lawrence Jones spoke about he wanted the match day experience to be something that his four daughters and ‘even his wife’ (!) would enjoy. Interestingly, a lot of their plans are linked to their very traffic management strategies but more of that later. Plans are in an advanced stage for lots of different activities at the AJ Bell Stadium this season with Board and player contact with fans at the heart of it all. As well as the Shark Tank, there’ll be a big marquee for after the game so fans can have a drink, wait for the initial congestion to ease, and mix with Board and players. Whilst understandably little detail was given at this time, Lawrence Jones said he was happy to be quoted that ‘we won’t have problems (with matchday experiences) this season’. Simon Orange did confirm privately afterwards that it won’t include Take That and also for those Take That fans amongst you that Jason Orange won’t be joining the reunion tour! It was interesting that Dimes fielded my questions on traffic measures and he was confident that progress has been made and will continue to be made throughout the season. He’s been meeting regularly with several traffic management companies and the police to gain solutions. The move to 8.15pm kick offs on a Friday is part of this to avoid conflict with peak travel times, although I guess that depends where you’re coming from. The traffic lights have been re-configured and that will be tested at a Spectator event in August where fans can come to see the players train and meet the players/Board. Other ideas include a possible car park for families with younger children and reduced car park prices for cars with 4 or more people in to encourage car sharing. The new marquee is part of this to encourage those without children (or willing to stay later) to hang on in convivial surroundings knowing the players and Board will be heading out that way. I asked Dimes about the ‘travel sickness’ clearly suffered by some players last season and got little response except for an acknowledgement that too many away games were lost and the club needs to build upon its home success. Hopefully some of the experienced names coming into the side will help that. Mention was made by Fran that if Sale Sharks had converted all kickable points away last season it would have been a different picture and probably top 3 finish. AJ MacGinty has impressed the team in practice and is being tipped by the coaching staff as making an immediate mark on the premiership. There’s a big belief that a number of the Sale ‘young guns’ will be on international duty at different levels this season and whilst I think most fans would agree that it will clearly be a doubled edged sword. Exciting, young international players will clearly boost attendance but we’ve always done well in the international season as we’ve lost far less players than other clubs. I put that to Dimes and Fran who are aware of the issue but believe this is where the long standing club policy of significant investment into the Academy will provide strength in depth as well as giving some youngsters the chance to demonstrate their potential. There’s certainly no rush to sign players. The Board are adamant the money is available but they must be the right players and they have no plans to move to carry more numbers. Good news for Academy development but in my view a gamble. Still #InDimesWeTrust. There was no sign of Kyle Eastmond at the event but I know there is at least one player announcement imminent (ed. confirmed on Friday to be a fullback) but it was not felt appropriate to do at this event. Personally, should Eastmond eventually sign with the club I think he’ll be a great addition to what already promises to be a very fast and exciting lineup next year. Tom Arscott looked well and told me he’s back in the gym and making an excellent recovery with mid-October as his set return date. Mike Haley was sporting a very impressive shoulder brace and told me he literally went from the plane to the operating theatre upon his return from the Saxons tour to South Africa in June. His doctors are saying mid-October also but he’s far more bullish about an earlier return. This does leave us with some problems at the back especially as Josh Charnley who could cover isn’t due to arrive until November. Look for Dan Mugford to play out of position or maybe a place for James Mitchell (hotly tipped by Will Addison as a player to keep an eye on) in the starting team. Josh Beaumont was incredibly focused and both he and Mike Haley are settled at Sale Sharks, which is good news. Peter Stringer looked awesome as usual – not sure where he keeps the mirror in the attic! In all there was a real positive buzz on Thursday and will be interesting to see how the new Board takes the club forward. Some concerns from me are that the ‘catchment area’ Sale Sharks operate in is an advantage that hasn’t been fully exploited yet and I’ll be looking to see changes there. Unfortunately the lack of other North-West Premiership teams means we don’t have a local rivalry/derby feel, which can generate excitement and interest. On the plus side what struck me last season was ‘top 6’ was an absolute mantra for players and coaching staff alike. Even when we could do top 4, people would only talk about top 6. If that belief and determination carries forward for ‘top 4’ then I for one am on board. Fran and Simon were unequivocal in that success and consistent top 4 placing is necessary to build the brand. I can’t wait for the new season now. Thanks to Dave Swanton and Stephen Thomas who are unfailingly helpful and courteous and make me the envy of my RugbyUnited colleagues; thanks to Steve Diamond for inviting me to the press conference and event yesterday and to RugbyUnited for letting me do this! Heather Akehurst is one of three contributors to the RugbySaleSharks Twitter account which can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. Ed. Matt Ferguson returns with the second in his five-part series detailing the next generation of Sale Sharks players who spent last season out on loan. The first report can be found here. TOM MORTON – FLYHALF – 20 Tom Morton was one of four Jets out on loan last season who have been capped for England under-20s, making an appearance in the 61-0 thrashing of Italy in 2015. Having already represented England’s under 18s and regional age-grade teams, it is clear that he is well-rated within the national set-up. Yet to make his senior Sharks debut, he spent last season on loan at Fylde in the National League One, following a small spell out with Macclesfield in the 2014/15 season. At Fylde, he made 8 appearances, of which 7 were starts. He was not utilised as a front-line goal kicker, successful with 7 conversions from 11 attempts (64%) without attempting any penalty kicks. Against Ampthill, he converted his sole try for the season, and knocked over 3 further conversions in the reverse fixture. The remaining 3 conversions were made in a tight loss against Cinderford. Indeed, Fylde struggled with Morton at flyhalf, winning just 1 game out of the 6 that he started at 10. However, this may be more a reflection of Fylde’s overall indifferent season than an indication of the impact of the young flyhalf. On a positive note, Fylde won the solitary game that Morton started at fullback, against Wharfedale, which hints at a good level of versatility in Morton’s game. For Sale Jets, he started all 5 of their fixtures at flyhalf, scoring 23 points (1 try, 3 conversions, 4 penalties), including an excellent 16 point haul in the comeback win over Newcastle A. It is evident that Sale have a great deal of faith in Morton going forward, opting to sign only two first-team fly-halves after the departures of Danny Cipriani, Joe Ford, and Nick Macleod last season, leaving the academy product as third choice 10. Coupled with the fact that there is virtually no cover for fly-half in the rest of Sale’s back division (I recall that James and Haley have some experience there in age-group rugby, but nothing at senior level), Morton is all but guaranteed to be training with the first team squad throughout the season and providing cover in case of injury. However, don’t expect to be seeing much of Morton, as the incoming AJ MacGinty and Dan Mugford will each want plenty of time to prove themselves as the first choice fly-half at Sale. Spot starts and LV Cup appearances will be Morton’s main avenue of contribution in 2016-17. JOHN O’DONNELL – WINGER – 23 John O’Donnell is a really interesting player, as anyone who has watched him play can agree. He is so interesting that it looks like Sale may not have his services for the upcoming season: over this summer, he has been playing for Ireland’s nascent Sevens side, and in reports has been contrastingly referred to as “Sale’s John O’Donnell” and “former Sale winger John O’Donnell”. For the sake of simplicity and completeness, I decided the write this report regardless. Watching O’Donnell play, his rugby league background is very obvious, in both his style of ball-carrying and the raw physical skill he possesses. In the Premiership Sevens tournaments, he has displayed a potent combination of speed, abrasiveness and guile while on the ball, but perhaps adapting to the tactical side of wing play in union has proved more of a challenge. Last season he scored an impressive 7 tries in 16 games for Sale FC in the National League Two (North), a sharp improvement on more muted spells with Preston and Doncaster the season before. As well as his exploits for the lesser-known Sale rugby outfit, he scored a match-winning last minute try in the Jets’ narrow win over Newcastle A, his only score in 5 appearances for the Jets this term. Unfortunately for John, time is not on his side, given that most top flight wingers are expected to be somewhere near their peak at his age, and certainly be in contention for a first-team spot although there are, of course, exceptions (cough Nev Edwards cough). If O’Donnell has left the club to play for Ireland’s Sevens side, it will be a big loss to the wider Sale Sharks community, the winger picking up the prestigious Aviva Community Player of the Season award for his tireless voluntary work over the last year. LIAM PARFITT – FLANKER – 20 Liam Parfitt is another player yet to make his debut for Sale’s senior side, but appearances in all 5 of Sale Jets’ games this season may serve to indicate that he is not too far away from receiving a chance to impress. Similar to Morton and O’Donnell, Parfitt was also part of Sale Sharks’ 2015 Premiership Sevens squad, making a number of impressive tackle-breaks and offloads in those fixtures. Capped for both England’s under-16 and under-18 sides, he turned down a professional contract with rugby league’s Warrington Wolves to sign for Sale, and spent last season on loan with Huddersfield in National League One. A key member of Huddersfield’s squad, Parfitt started 17 games, mostly at blindside flanker but also making starts across the rest of the back row. Unfortunately, Huddersfield finished bottom of the pile and were duly relegated, but Parfitt’s performances stood him out as a player, often mentioned in post-match reports and managing 3 tries from the back row over the season. During the course of researching this post I found an article suggesting that Parfitt had signed for National League One’s Macclesfield. It is unclear whether this is an early announcement of a dual-registration deal, or some other loaning agreement that gives Sale the ability to call up Parfitt for either Jets or senior games, but it is most likely that Parfitt will be playing for Macclesfield on a full-time basis and leaving the Sharks entirely. If true, this is a big shame, as the England call-ups suggested that Sale had a genuine prospect on their books, and the Jets showings further indicated Sale’s interest in Parfitt. Perhaps the Sale set-up have one (or should that be two) eyes on the Curry twins, both capped at England under-18 level in the back row and by all accounts considered the brightest talents to have come through the academy in several years… MATTHEW POSTLETHWAITE – LOCK/BLINDSIDE FLANKER – 19 Without wanting to tempt fate, I can thankfully find no such confusion over Postlethwaite’s club situation, with the highly-rated forward firmly remaining a Shark/Jet for the upcoming season, if Sale’s club website is to be believed. Postlethwaite, yet to make his senior debut, made 3 appearances for the Jets last season, all at lock, and began his time on loan at Sale FC turning out in the same position. He found a home at blindside flanker, however, stringing together a run of starts for the National League Two (North) side, before reverting back to lock in the late-season as fellow loanee Andy Hughes added to Sale FC’s depth at flanker. All told, Postlethwaite made 14 starts and 10 appearances off the bench, scoring against South Leicester early in the season. Such is Sale’s depth at lock that Postlethwaite presumably slots in as the club’s sixth choice behind Bryn Evans, Andrei Ostrikov, Jonathan Mills, Lou Reed, and George Nott. Postlethwaite, like several of the Jets, has turned out for England under-18s, and is entering his final year of eligibility for the under-20 side. I do fully expect him to spend next season back out on loan, hopefully at a higher level than National Two (North), but would not be entirely surprised if he made England’s under-20 squad, and/or made a brief cameo in Sale Sharks’ LV Cup games. GEORGE NOTT – LOCK/BLINDSIDE FLANKER – 20 Speaking of George Nott, the Welsh-born second-rower has certainly had a summer to remember. In the World Rugby Under-20 Championship he started every game of England’s storming run to the title, and was honoured with a place in the official team of the tournament as a blindside flanker. A dominating line-out presence throughout the tournament, and offering huge effort in the tight, he looks equally comfortable at either blindside flanker or lock, which bodes very well for Sale. His stand-out moment actually came just 8 minutes into England’s first game of the tournament, as he galloped in to score from 60 metres out on turnover ball, completely outgassing the helpless Italy defence. If he can ally that natural fitness to the traditional skillset of a blindside flanker, Sale could potentially have the next Tom Croft on their hands. Nott’s promise was identified very early by Sale, who handed a debut to the then-19-year-old in a European Champions Cup game against Munster in the 2014/15 season. That year, Nott spent time on loan with Chester, and remained at the club for the 2015/16 season, making 12 appearances, of which 9 were starts. His game-time at Chester was limited by both the under-20s Six Nations, in which he made 4 starts, and a call-up to Sale Sharks’ match-day 23 against Newport Gwent Dragons in the European Challenge Cup. He didn’t make an appearance that day, but continued to train with the first-team squad as the fourth choice lock after Josh Beaumont suffered a season-ending injury. He also started all 5 games for the Jets at lock, which hampered his ability to represent Chester more frequently. Next season, I suspect Nott will break through into the first team squad, making a similar impression to James Mitchell or James Flynn this last season, being eased into the match-day squad and being given a chance to impress. I doubt he will set the world alight, as he continues to add bulk in order to cope with the physical demands of Premiership rugby, but locks do not normally mature until their mid-to-late twenties so there is no rush to get him involved. He may well be given game-time at blindside flanker, as he offers a completely different game to Cam Neild, TJ Ioane or Laurence Pearce, but I suspect that Diamond sees him long-term as a second row, given Sale’s lack of depth in that position. Next week, I’ll be going slightly off-piste thematically, mixing in reports on some players who are not officially Sale Sharks (according to the squad page on the club website), but who did make appearances for the Jets over the last year. Those players are Shaun Strudwick, Forbes Edwards and Brendan Berry, who will feature alongside reports on Matt Rogerson and another England under-20 cap, Jake Pope. A couple of notes: the ages shown are the players’ ages on the 1st September 2016, normally the start of the Premiership season, and all statistics are compiled from rugby.statbunker.com and the relevant organising bodies (ERC, PRL, etc). Also, the term “loan” is used where “dual-registration” may be more accurate, for the sake of brevity. Matt Ferguson is surprised that he managed to spell Postlethwaite correctly more than once. His Twitter can be found here. Follow The Shark Tank on Twitter for more news, analysis, and opinions on all things Sale Sharks. With pre-season training fully underway, the Premiership fixture list confirmed and the transfer market all but shut (save perhaps, maybe, potentially for one ex-Bath centre) the clock has begun rapidly ticking down to the beginning of the new Premiership and European seasons. Ahead of a new campaign which will see Sale Sharks attempt to replicate last season's top-six heroics, The Shark Tank analyses the personnel moves made by Steve Diamond for the upcoming 2016/17 season in order to assess whether Sale, as a squad, are in a stronger or weaker position than they were this time last year. Sale are in a particularly fortunate position heading into the new season as they possess a gaudy collection of young English talent, already integrated into the first team, which will inevitably see individual improvement as their development continues with additional game-time. Therefore we can already except to see a net benefit for the squad in 2016/17 as the likes of Cameron Neild, Sam James, Mike Haley, Ross Harrison, Josh Beaumont, Will Addison and many others will be a season closer to reaching their prime potential. But beyond this spine of academy produce, have the Sharks been able to improve as a collective and once again position themselves to make a run at the top-six (and maybe even the top-four), or will they fall prey to the ever-increasing competitiveness of the English Premiership and fall back into the lower-mid table? Of course it is impossible to know at such an early stage whether, for example, Mike Phillips definitely constitutes an upgrade over Chris Cusiter and we must acknowledge that certain players may (or may not) fit the particular setup at Sale better than others. But knowing what we broadly know about the players who have joined and left Sale over the previous six months, we can form an approximate conclusion on the current state of the Sharks first team. So let's investigate. Ins and OutsFirst, let us remind ourselves of the ins and outs of the 2016/17 Sale Sharks. A comprehensive list of transactions can be found here. |
Archive
June 2017
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