Munster-style coaching has piqued the Sale focus for Bath trip

Sale boss Alex Sanderson has warned his Sharks they have much to worry about when they visit a revitalised Bath on Saturday in round two of the new Gallagher Premiership season. Sanderson’s team enjoyed a winning start at home to Northampton last Sunday but he saw enough of an improvement in Bath - last season’s bottom team - in their near-miss at Bristol the previous day to leave him on edge over the trip to The Rec.

It took an extraordinary Bristol comeback to deny Bath an away day opening round win at Ashton Gate and Sanderson saw enough in that performance under new boss Johann van Graan to believe that the 13th team in 2021/22 will be a far tougher opponent this season.

“There was loads, loads about their performance,” he said. “It showed the mentality, the muscle and also some tightening of their tactics brought over from a Munster-style coaching set up under Johann van Graan.

“He has brought in things that make teams hard to beat and that is a stronger set-piece, a more clearly defined kicking game with intent at the breakdown which makes it difficult at best to get quick ball. They were really tested in defence but if you have those things in place then it is always going to be a closer game than playing free-flowing, entertaining rugby which is what they tried to put out last year.”

Sale were 29-3 ahead at one stage in the second half last Sunday against the Saints but they only won by seven points in the end, leaving a relieved Sanderson savouring the feeling of starting off with a win.

“It is the one thing I was most grateful for after the game because I have been in places where you are winning and it is never good enough, you always can be better and everyone says, ‘There is loads to work on’. There are things to work on but celebrate the win, appreciate how hard we worked and how we probably deserved to win, do all your back slapping on the Monday and then get back to it on the Tuesday which is what we have done.

“We feel with the form we are in going down to Bath and they are going to have their backs to the wall having lost last week, their first home game, new management structure in, some new players to bolster the pack up you feel it is going to be another really tasty exciting contest.”