By Elayna Towell
Sale Sharks are in preparation for their second match of the 2024/25 Premiership season, gearing up to make the journey down to London to face Saracens. Coming into this Saturday’s game, Alex Sanderson, Director of Rugby at Sale Sharks, said that there are “personal motivations” from both sides due to their recent history on the pitch.
Having been defeated by Saracens in the 2023 Premiership final with a score of 35-25, Sale fought back to beat them twice in the 2023/24 season with scores of 22-20 and 20-10. Speaking in a recent Sale Sharks media session, Sanderson explained his own motivations against the Saracens, describing how their defeat in the final has stayed with him.
“Them beating us in the final not even that long ago, I still feel the pain. In fact, I feel the pain of failure sits with you a lot longer than the elation of success and winning. It does, for whatever reason, drive me a bit more.
“I know it’s not wholly the same team, but I’m still gonna take, I hope, the lads to exact some rough justice.”
He continued to speak about how, in the second half of last season, Sale beat Saracens at their home ground in London and “took the home semi away from them” in a game which could be considered a “swan song” for Saracens’ exiting players which he believes is “sitting on them” in a similar manner.
Saracens boast a younger squad this season, having lost players such as Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland and brothers Mako and Billy Vunipola, and have been described by their Director of Rugby, Mark McCall, as “more athletic and faster”.
Sanderson praised Saracens on being a “good, quick transition team in terms of turnovers and kicks”, adding that they play on a 4G pitch which helps increase the speed of play due to traction.
In response to these strengths of the opposition, Sale have also been practicing on a 4G pitch at a local rugby club so that they can get used to the speed of the track.
“We put them under a bit of a tumble-dryer and some game-scenarios where there’s a lot of fast breaks, a lot of turnover, so that when it happens, and it will happen, on Saturday, it’s not novel for them.
“They’ve seen it. They’ve felt it. They’re ready for it.”
Reflecting on his own coaching style, Sanderson spoke about why he prefers to be on the touchline during matches rather than watching the match through computers.
“I get a feel on the touchline of the energy and the physicality in real time. I know I can make my voice heard so, on occasion, I can shout to a player, even if it’s a point of encouragement just so they can hear and feel me from the touchline. I feel a connection there.
“Perhaps the most important thing is so that when they come off, regardless of how they played, I can shake their hand. I can give them a cuddle. They’re never gonna learn a lesson in the moment, they just need to know that you made them proud to a degree.
“It’s just a handshake and a thank you. It’s that and when I send someone up front, I can just have a word in their ear, and I know that message is going on.
“That’s a more productive use of my time than pouring over the game which we’re gonna do any way, two times, three times over the day after.”
Going into this second round of the season, Sale Sharks are down a player in Tom Curry following a head injury sustained in the first half of last week’s match against the Harlequins.
The England flanker was sent off for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) which he passed before returning to the field. He was replaced at half-time following a precautionary reassessment in which he was deemed unfit to play in the second half.
Regarding Tom’s injury, Sanderson said: ‘He is currently undergoing his return to play from a HIA concussion incident.
“You have to go to return to rugby protocol which starts with a walk and then a bike and then some bag hits.
‘It’s a gradual return to play and you have to tick the box at every point in that process to return to play, but if he does all those and he is undergoing all those, he will be good to train from next week and do contact.’
Another Sale player not in contention for the Saracens game is Jonny Hill who was under police investigation following an incident in June involving an altercation with a Bath fan.
Sanderson was unable to comment on Hill’s investigation at this time, although he did state: “We have internally disciplined him and that will all come out in the wash, but it is still quite sensitive.”