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'I'm not allowed to talk about him getting naked because his grandma had a go at him'
By Liam Heagney
Alex Sanderson has amusingly revealed that his live TV quip about how promising front-rower Bevan Rodd celebrates Sale victories by dancing naked in the dressing room prompted a rebuke for the youngster from his disapproving grandmother.
Sale boss Sanderson was in ebullient form when interviewed last Friday on BT Sport following his team's Gallagher Premiership win over Harlequins which kept alive their bid to clinch a home semi-final, an ambition that has gone down to the wire with a final round fixture away to Exeter this Saturday.
During the interview, Sanderson dropped the name of Rodd into the conversation when talking about the buoyant mood at Sale where they have been on an encouraging winning streak in a season that has been a breakthrough campaign for the 20-year-old Scottish-born loosehead who has been on the radar for a call-up with Eddie Jones' England.
Sanderson had no hesitation in playing up the credentials of the youngster at this week's Sale media briefing, but he quipped how Rodd was reprimanded by his granny for his dressing room antics. "I'm not allowed to talk about him getting naked because his grandma had a go at him about that post-match. But he doesn't mind, he doesn't mind getting his kit off and he is quite a good mover with it. He is quite handsome for a big lad.
"He is a bit of a talent. He is a rare talent for someone being as young as he is and being able to hold that side of the scrum up but it is his work around the field that sets him apart for front-rowers, for looseheads.
"He is brilliant over the ball, he has got a deft touch in terms of his distribution and it showed last week that when he puts his mind to it he can carry over the gain line. He scored a try last week. So I'm not putting limits on how far Bev can get better... I hope he gets the opportunity so he can show (Matt) Proudfoot and Jones the calibre he is which is a rare talent and a rare individual. He is a rare breed.
Set to turn 21 in August, Rodd has played 809 minutes in his 18 Premiership appearances this season. He has made 67 metres from 37 carries, made 96 tackles, won nine turnovers and beaten six defenders but on the debit side, he has conceded 24 penalties, 22 of them in defence.
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Latest Comments
I dont believe Skelton has ever proven himself at test level tho Nick. Yep he played well against a side they scored plenty against but his record v the top sides isnt special. Good quality player but Im not as convinced about him as you seem to be, as you base most of your opinion on his local club stuff not really his test performances. His test record of 30 tests in 10 years explains itself very well. I think he is an honest performer but certainly not a top notch International player.
Go to commentsI wonder Jake, who do you think is the best fit for Australia as a coach? Not since Joe Schmidt took over as coach did Australia look any good, however, there is always this debate around not having an Aussie coach by the fans and so called pundits and old players.
Some of them are changing their minds now however, but I would love to see who you would choose. I think Joe Schmidt is an excellent coach, who puts in everything for the team he is coaching. To him, there is no such thing as being biased.
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