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Sale

Cash rich Sale Sharks to search globe for player - Diamond

By Chris Jones

08 Jan 2018

USA playmaker AJ MacGinty. (Photo by Getty Images)

AJ MacGinty, the USA Eagles No10, is waiting to discover how seriously he damaged his knee helping defeat Harlequins 30-29 and Sale are set to launch a world wide search for a replacement to get them through the rest of the season.

The short term option for Steve Diamond, the Sale director of rugby, will be Australian international James O’Connor who started at full back against Quins but has considerable experience in the play-maker role. O’Connor’s chequered career has included spells at London Irish and Toulon and now he finds himself with the responsibility of ensuring Sale finish in the top of the Premiership to guarantee European Champions Cup rugby next season.

MacGinty, 27-years-old, has been in excellent form for Sale having struggled with a leg injury last season and Diamond admits his loss is a massive blow but he does have room in the playing budget to bring in a quality No10 and stay within the salary cap.

He said:”We’ve been building the side around AJ. It took him a year to settle in with us but he’s a phenomenal goal-kicker and a great defender and he understands the game really well.

“So it’s a bit of a loss for us but we’ll be seeing more of James O’Connor at 10 in the next batch of games and I might even go around the world looking for another one.

“We’re in a good position in the league and because we don’t spend the money that some of these other teams spend, we do have a huge reserve there so we might go to have a look at whether we can get a number ten to see us through to the end of the season to help James and Sam James.”

Dimes: We'll give AJ MacGinty all the support he needs. https://t.co/to2tva33k1 pic.twitter.com/By30isuN1X
— Sale Sharks 🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) January 7, 2018

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Comments on RugbyPass

Bull Shark 1 minute ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

You're outta here!

289 Go to comments

Bull Shark 1 minute ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Yellow for you. Timeout.

Low risk of danger, so there won't be a bunker review.

289 Go to comments

Bull Shark 6 minutes ago

Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

LOL. Tinfoil meet head.

17 Go to comments

Bull Shark 14 minutes ago

Sadness pervades as Gatland stands on the brink of Welsh exit

Not true. I'm a South African and I absolutely loved seeing the Wallabies beating England. And miss the Wallabies of old who were a devastating force with some of the greatest players of all time.

I hear quite regularly that Australians prefer Aussie rules, league, and cricket over rugby.

So again, seems like Australians are to blame for the state of the game in Australia?

17 Go to comments

Bull Shark 22 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I find Ben Smith to be an emotionally driven hysteric. So I question everything he writes.

He launched into the year about the ABs being back this year. For a "journalist" his opinions are based on the flavour of the month.

He's at least gone quiet about how sh1t the boks actually are. Although I suspect he's working on an outrageous article to that effect as we speak, to drive engagement after the end of the Autumn series, as we'll all be taking a break until the 6N. Reading his drivel in between extended periods of alcohol and mince pie consumption, and low grade depression related to the lack of international rugby. Leading to more alcohol and mince pies.

22 Go to comments

Chesterfield 25 minutes ago

Michael Hooper reacts to Scott Barrett’s controversial late-game call

The dominant pack should be enforcing their superiority with maximum points and the psychological advantage of taking the lead.

You don’t get that by saying we’ll settle for three and try again you get it by scoring seven and trying again. Doesn’t come off every time?

No.

But if you’ve asserted dominance letting the opposition off and not trying to build a double score difference is wrong minded.

All blacks have traditionally played to build the unassailable lead not meekly win a single point victory.

11 Go to comments

Arnold 27 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

Aaah. Ben Smith. Ever the unbiased, objective rugby scribe......NOT.

Unable to give credit where it's due, other than for the ABs, especially when it comes to the Boks. His contempt for them is tangible. If you want to " Get Real" about these ABs Ben, consider when they last beat the Boks??? For us Bok fans, beating the ABs is the only true measure.

22 Go to comments

Reader76 46 minutes ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

"they [All Blacks] are nuggety and resourceful and don’t wilt. They are prepared to win the hard way, accumulating points by any means necessary."

Sounds like you're describing your arch-nemesis Ben 😁

22 Go to comments

CM 49 minutes ago

'Steve Borthwick hung his troops out to dry - he should take some blame'

This article only shows a part of SBs failings as England Coach. Firstly his reputation st Leicester was false, his SA and Welsh players won the matches not his coaching prowess. He has Wigglesworth as attack coach, someone who rarely attacked when playing. His player selection is awful, ignoring form players and sticking with failed internationals. He picks players that he knows and will be easy to manage for him. What on earth is Slade doing when even for Exeter he does not make line breaks with steppping, pace or guile, why on earth are Cole,George,Steward,Ford,Iseweke and a few other anywhere near the Team. Borthwick is awful as Head Coach of England.

1 Go to comments

Mzilikazi 50 minutes ago

Key Wallabies trio running hot a year after being left in cold

Good to be writing about a WB team that has beaten two 6 N sides in successive weeks, Brett.

Lolesio indeed is looking very comfortable under Schmidt coaching. He must feel as confident now as he was feeling in his spell at Toulon last year. It will be interesting to see how he does against Finn Russell.

30 Go to comments

J Marc 1 hour ago

'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Your unterstanding of the relation FFR LNR, is far better than the one in the article. For Meafou, there is an article on Skelton saying he is totally indispensable in the australian game.

In France they are often compared, and french game is often, but not always ,based on this kind of number 5. But , there are a lot of kind of play in France and in the world, and it's a blessing, because otherwise, the game would be boring.

On my other post ,which you replied, my intention was to explain with some historics facts the main importance, in France, of the championship.

But ,once again, I would prefer 3 games in NZ , with the better french players.

289 Go to comments

Ninjin 1 hour ago

Let's be real about these All Blacks

I said before the November tests that the AB's should go smash some Nh teams to find their feet and it seems that is just what they did bar France. Could have should have always sucks. Better to look to the future.

22 Go to comments