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Alex Sanderson: 'Judge us on competitiveness, great resilience'

Sale players exit the RDS pitch in Dublin (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images for Sale Sharks)

Alex Sanderson was halfway through a creamy pint of the black stuff when he stepped outside a loud music marquee at the RDS to give his hot take to RugbyPass on a Saturday night tale of two halves for Sale in Dublin.

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The Sharks were bitingly competitive in an opening period that they led 13-3 for a stretch; then came the second wave where they were beached by Leinster, falling 37-13 behind before rallying with two converted tries in the closing 90 seconds to leave just 10 points the margin.

This reduced full-time gap enabled the director of rugby to talk with the bounce of someone satisfied that his glass was half full, which it literally was when he placed it on some sort of wiring box at the back of the aged main stand near where the beery post-match Leinster fans party was in full swing in the paddock ring and an old shed.

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Jacques Nienaber on evolution and why he left international rugby

Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has given his first Leinster press conference and at it spoke about how big a role family played in his decision to leave Test rugby. He also spoke about evolution and how it will take a while to get things right at Leinster.

Video Spacer

Jacques Nienaber on evolution and why he left international rugby

Former Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has given his first Leinster press conference and at it spoke about how big a role family played in his decision to leave Test rugby. He also spoke about evolution and how it will take a while to get things right at Leinster.

You would have got long odds pre-game on the notion of Sale threatening a surprise against an Irish outfit that had opened its Champions Cup campaign last weekend with a superb win at La Rochelle and were unbeaten in the URC since the opening round in October.

The Gallagher Premiership leaders had gambled in making 11 changes to the XV that defeated Stade Francais six days earlier at home, giving the talisman likes of George Ford and Manu Tuilagi an evening off with a view to them being hale and hearty for next Friday’s arrival of Saracens at the AJ Bell.

Penalties

7
Penalties Conceded
10
2
Yellow Cards
1
0
Red Cards
0

However, rather than this selection gambit being the prompt for an immediate away day capitulation, Sanderson’s much rejigged Sale outfit instead had the chutzpah to deservedly lead Leinster for a full 36 minutes – initially for 11 and then a chunkier 25 – and it wasn’t until a brutal five-minute spell either side of the hour mark, during which arrears of just 13-16 widened to 13-30, that the ambush was put firmly beyond their grasp.

“Proud of how they went at Leinster despite the doubters,” enthused Sanderson, his Guinness going down swimmingly while reflecting on a contest that bristled and hung in the balance until a needless penalty concession from second-half sub Jonny Hill for acting the maggot on the prone Josh van der Flier swung possession and territory Leinster’s way at a crucial stage after the hosts had taken the lead for the first time with a Jamison Gibson-Park try following a missed Tom Roebuck tackle.

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“We really attacked them, I thought we rattled them in that first half. We said to them at half-time it was probably only us in here who thought that could happen. We gave ourselves a five-minute focus for the second half and we conceded that try, let them in at that point.

“We gave them too much possession in the second half, too much territory. A 1,000-cap international side, which they are, they are going to score points. We came back again (at the end), which shows the resilience of the group. Although a lot of professional sport is about winning and losing, it does feel was can take an edge, a momentum from that into the Premiership and Saracens next week.”

In no way was Sanderson regretful about not going in fully locked and loaded in Dublin. “We could have done something special tonight with that group. The kick in front of the sticks, we went to the corner, got it turned over. That brings it within seven, and held up over the line on a driving maul – then the score is even, and these are just opportunities that we missed, not the ones that we gave to Leinster.

“I would say in hindsight we could have done it with that group. Now we are going back into the Premiership with a fresh group. We managed to rest everyone in the group over the last two weeks and took some stick this week, but over the last two weeks, we have managed to rejuvenate a squad that was hanging in there after eight games in the Premiership, so in the bigger picture I’m quite happy where we are at this point of time.

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“We were dominated in a lot of areas. Certainly, the momentum in that second half went away from us. But if you were to judge us on competitiveness, great resilience, just not giving an inch in the game, these are intangible things and I think we went toe to toe with a 1,000-cap side so for that, I am very grateful.

“The rest we can build, the rest we can coach. Certainly, in terms of experience, there is a lot of growth in that side, a bit more growth than what they [Leinster] have got in theirs so I’m encouraged by that as well.”

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The video nasty review for Sale on Monday morning, though, will be their penalty-leaking scrum, a nightmare of a first half for James Harper that culminated in his sin-binning near the interval. It was a numerical advantage that Leinster swiftly took advantage of to go in at the break trailing by just two points instead of a more worrying seven.

“The scrum was an important factor, it was a momentum swinger really,” admitted Sanderson. “Asher (Opoku-Fordjour) came on and just sorted that out brilliantly as he does as a 19-year-old. It’s certainly not to the standards where we were the last couple of weeks.

“We will have a look at that. In games like that, every little mistake is preyed upon and the cost is greater than in your average Premiership game. Our set-piece is something we will have to get up to scratch again.”

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R
RedWarrior 34 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

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G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

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