The 'welcome' Sale have planned for Diamond 14 months after he quit
Sale boss Alex Sanderson is keen on having a catch-up beer on Saturday with his Sharks predecessor Steve Diamond - but there will be “no kind words” prior to kick-off at the AJ Bell when Worcester visit. It was 14 months ago - December 8, 2020 - when it was announced that Diamond was leaving his director of rugby role with the Manchester club after a decade in the job.
His exit was a surprise but it was later explained that some family bereavements left Diamond in need of a break from the game and wanting to step away. That opened the door for Sale to recruit Saracens assistant Sanderson and the team he inherited went on to reach the Gallagher Premiership semi-finals last June.
It was always inevitable, though, that Diamond would eventually get back in the game and after speculation linking him to struggling Bath came to nought, he popped up instead at another top-flight struggler.
His initial role at Worcester from the end of November was lead rugby consultant but eight weeks later he was handed control of the entire on-field rugby operation and Saturday’s trip back to his former Sale stomping ground will be his third match in charge of the Warriors.
Despite being 13 months in charge, Sanderson reckons Sale is still more a club belonging to Diamond than him and the welcome will be warm - but only once the game is over. “This is still more Steve’s club than mine. It truly is,” said Sanderson in the run-up to the Premiership round 16 fixture. “The place echoes of him still as it should because he has been instrumental here for years.
“I have been back for 15 years to Sale from Saracens and every time I came back I was welcomed with open arms, my family got tickets which were easier to get at Sale than they were at Saracens at times for hospitality areas. That’s the kind of club this place is. Once you have been indoctrinated and accepted as part of the club you are always part of the club so he will be warmly welcomed back, more so after the 80 minutes than before. I am sure there will be no kind words pre-kick-off but I hope to have a beer with him afterwards.”
The 42-year-old Sanderson went on to explain how he many similarities the 54-year-old Diamond, whom he considered working under when his predecessor was still the boss at Sale. “Clubs take on traits or have historical, lasting playing styles and traits that have stuck with them for years regardless of directors of rugby and who has been in charge. You can go through them.
“Newcastle, when have they not been gritty and doggedly determined and annoyingly competitive? They have been that forever, regardless of who has been there. When have Quins never been like a fast-breaking, showmanship, Harlem Globetrotters style of a team regardless of who has been there? It has been part of their DNA if you well.
“Dimes has been instrumental in my career as a coach, as a player. There is a lot of similarities that we share, values that are common. Hence why it was such an easy fit for me coming in here. I was talking to Dimes prior to this engagement about whether we could work together so it goes to say the place still echoes of him because in many ways I am not too different to him. I’m just a bit younger and a bit better looking!”
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Skelton may be brought back for the Wallabies so that would be the only reason that may hinder Wilson. Easily the form, most skilful and game IQ of any Oz 8. Valentini’s best and favourite position is 6, but lineouts may be an issue with Skelton, Valentini and Wilson. Will be interesting what Schmidt goes for but for me Wilson should be picked on form. Schmidt rewards work rate, skill and consistency. All that glitters every so often won’t be in contention. Greely is one of those players that has a knack of making the right decision. A coach is going to love him because he knows week in week out he’s going to get the job done. The second try Greely wasn’t the guy who made the initial break it was Flook, Greely was at the bottom of the ruck when Flook was off along the sideline. Greely got up and made the effort to catch up with play but also read the play nicely and hit the pass from Campbell at pace and then held the pass beautifully to Ryan.
Go to commentsSharks deserved to be far further back by the last quarter. Their tackling was awful, their set pieces were disappointing, their defensive organization was poor (especially on the Kok side of the D line), they kept making unnecessary errors, and they never looked like cracking the Clermont defense during those first 60m. Masuku kept them in touch, with some help from the Clermont generosity on penalty opportunities. Agree with the writer of this article. It was belligerence, and ability to raise their pressure game just enough, that turned the last quarter into a Bok-style shutout. Clermont have a reputation of not playing the full 80m, and there was a bit of that for sure. But, quite often when the intensity of a team drops off in the last quarter credit is due to the opponent for tiring them out. At 60m, with the Kok try, you thought that just maybe the game was on. At 70m, with the Mapimpi contribution, one felt that Clermont were fading, while facing a team that would maintain the pressure game through the final whistle. Good win in the end, but the Sharks are still playing way below their potential. And with their resources, and a coach that has had enough time to figure things out, they are running out of excuses.
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