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Season is over for Jonny Hill; Sale also losing Manu Tuilagi battle
By Jon Newcombe
Sale director of rugby Alex Sanderson has revealed Jonny Hill suffered a season-ending injury in last Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup defeat to La Rochelle. The out-of-favour England lock went down in the first half of the 37-24 loss which cost the Sharks their place in the round of 16.
“It was bad, I said it was bad after the game. He has ruptured his patella tendon. It’s a five-monther. We won’t see him again this season,” Sanderson said at his Wednesday afternoon media briefing ahead of next Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership trip to Gloucester.
“He has had a scan and has got to wait two weeks for the swelling to go down before it gets operated on. I am gutted for him and gutted for us.”
Versatile back-rower Tom Ellis also broke his toe in the bruising encounter but Dan du Preez’s knock only turned out to be bruising to the hip. Manu Tuilagi (groin), meanwhile, is back up and running again but his days as a Sharks player appear to be numbered.
“Manu was running today [Wednesday] pitchside, so he will only be two to three weeks off now,” Sanderson confirmed.
The Sale boss and Tuilagi have been in constant dialogue about the midfielder extending his stay in Salford but with the marquee player status having passed to George Ford, the Sharks are finding it hard to come up with a solution to keep him beyond the end of this season.
“We have talked about it and we are finding it difficult to fit him in the cap,” Sanderson admitted.
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Let’s make them both Capt. I think we'd get the best of both of them and it would help alleviate some of the pressures of the role. They'd have to confer over on field decisions which should lead to “ learnings “ for both. They are our two best consistent performers.
Go to commentsForget what was said or how many players said it. TONY BROWN IS THE NEW ATTACK COACH. That’s the only story worth freaking out over. The springboks are going to grow their game an awful lot over the next cycle and it’s not just the 19 disgustingly arrogant Irish players who refused to shake Ebens hand and said “see you in the final if you can cheat your way past France” who will find that out first hand.
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