Sale statement: Short-term signing of ex-England player Joe Simpson

Sale have boosted their scrum-half options by signing ex-England player Joe Simpson on a short-term deal. The 34-year-old thrived on temporary contracts last season at Saracens and Bath and with Raffi Quirke and Will Cliff currently sidelined with injuries at Sale, who have also lost the services of Faf de Klerk to the Top League, the Manchester outfit believe the veteran Simpson will be a massive addition on and off the field.

A Sale statement read: “Sharks have signed former England scrum-half Joe Simpson on a short-term contract ahead of the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership season. The former Wasps and Gloucester man, who has one England cap and was part of his country’s squad for the 2011 World Cup, has put pen to paper on a six-month deal.

“Joe made almost 250 appearances for Wasps after graduating from their academy in 2008, before joining Gloucester in 2019. He had loan spells at both Saracens and Bath last season but after being released from his contract at Kingsholm, he has joined up with Alex Sanderson’s squad for pre-season ahead of a busy Gallagher Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup campaign.

“Joe Simpson has been one of the Premiership’s most consistent performers over the past decade. At international level, he represented England at U19 and U20 level, taking part in the inaugural Junior World Championship in Wales in 2008, as well as playing for the Sevens and Saxons teams.

“Joe made his full debut for England during the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand when he replaced Ben Youngs during a pool stage clash with Georgia.”

Sanderson said: “We felt that we were short of a bit of experience in the scrum-half position and Joe brings that in abundance. He is a proven performer who has played at the very highest level for the past decade and more and we are sure he will be a brilliant addition to what is a very young squad.

“Everyone who has worked with Joe speaks really highly of him in terms of his leadership off the field so we are really excited to see what he can do here. Joe’s experience will be invaluable for our young players like Raffi, Gus Warr and Nye Thomas.”