Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

POTM Ben Curry peeved at post-match question

Ben Curry celebrates with Raffi Quirke as Sale Sharks overcome Bristol Bears 38-0 at Ashton Gate. Photo: PA

Moments after the final whistle had blown on one of Sale Sharks’ best-ever away wins in the Gallagher Premiership, Ben Curry called for the narrative to be changed around the health of his brother Tom.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Curry twins started together in the back row as Sale beat Bristol 38-0 at Ashton Gate to register their first league points on the road in emphatic style.

Ben was outstanding on both sides of the ball, making a match-high 18 tackles and scoring a try, in a commanding 80-minute performance which earned him the Player of the Match award.

Tom, meanwhile, had an effective evening at blindside, being replaced twice in the match, for blood in the first half and permanently for Sam Dugdale approaching the hour mark when the game was well and truly won.

Defence

85
Tackles Made
160
17
Tackles Missed
21
83%
Tackle Completion %
88%

For the more high-profile of the two brothers, it was another game under his belt after undergoing career-saving surgery on a chronic hip problem last February.

To manage his recovery and prevent further issues from occurring, the 26-year-old is currently undergoing stem cell therapy, whilst Sale are carefully managing his workload.

After three questions about Sale’s epic performance in a live post-match interview, Ben Curry was asked: “What did it mean to you to be out there alongside your brother yet again and what does it say about Alex Sanderson and about this club about its values that his longevity and his health are being prioritised in the way that it is?

ADVERTISEMENT

It was a seemingly legitimate question given Tom Curry’s medical history but Ben took umbrage and the question and his response were cut from the interview published later that evening on TNT’s digital platforms.

Understandably it is a sensitive issue for Ben, and this is his response in full: “Can people stop talking about his longevity, he’s 26. Every time I see about his longevity he seems fine. You saw that tonight, he was banging people. I really want people to stop talking about that because he is in unbelievable condition, he is one of the best players in the world when he is on it. He is going to be playing for a long time so I’d like people to stop doing that, please.”

Most of the post-match chat, however, centred on Sale’s magnificent defensive display, as free-scoring Bristol were kept pointless for the first time in the Premiership since September 2016.

It was a personal triumph for recently appointed defence coach Byron McGuigan, who replaced Leeds Rhinos-bound Jamie Langley in the middle of last month.

ADVERTISEMENT

Curry said: “Byron works incredibly hard. In terms of the system, it is very detailed but I think you’ve seen tonight, the lads want to put their heads in dark places for him. I want to hit for Byron, lads want to hit for Byron, and that’s 99% of defence. So when you have a defence coach that you want to put your head in dark places for I think you get performances like that.”

Related

Top 100

Rugby’s best of the best, ranked by experts. Check out our list of the Top 100 Men's Rugby Players and let us know what you think! 



ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 35 | Six Nations Round 2 Review

O2 Inside Line: This Rose | Episode 3 | France Week

Second round of the Men's Six Nations | Whistle Watch

Harlequins vs Bristol Bears | PWR 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Saitama Wildknights | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Watch now: Lomu - The Lost Tapes

The Dupont Ploy: How France went from underdogs to Olympic gods | The Report

Former rugby player is truly an NFL superstar | Walk the Talk | Jordan Mailata

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 2 hours ago
Where is the new breed of All Black 10?

Players like Prendergast and Finn Smith already have a few seasons at top club level under their belt and are now test players, at an age when NZ players make their debuts in SR.

That’s just a difference in standards. You’re confusing SR for being their local domestic comps, where it’s more accurately comparable to Champions Cup, apart from that teams are happy to throw games as it’s in a bit of a limbo in terms of importance atm.


All these kids have been playing for a comparable NPC team for years now. Sam is no where near ready for tests but he has a great temperament, much like Sextons, that makes it a good choice to speed up his development. He wasn’t even a comparable Super Rugby starter before playing for Ireland, so not a great comparison.


Fin would be much better example, but then England don’t have 3 world class Test tens in front of him (not that I’d put Beauden their but obviously in terms of young NZ players chances, he is). Would he otherwise have debuted at the same age as Fergus Burke (injury and leaving withstanding), around 24, a couple of years later? England also aren’t as pedantic to who they give jerseys to, in NZ a test jersey is very hard earned for the most part.


In general I think the effects are as you say, but the only difference is the money involved, as you yourself said, their paths are just as all over the show being loaned out playing for clubs etc. My solution to that, and what you perceive as the problem, would be to introduce university football that utilitizes the large investment they have into high performance sport.

90 Go to comments
J
Jennifer Ross 5 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

The topic of recovery services and the efficacy of Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech warrants a closer examination. Recovery services are a critical component of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, as they provide the means to restore systems, data, and operations in the event of a breach or other disruptive incident. Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech is a leading provider in this space, offering a suite of advanced recovery solutions designed to ensure business continuity and mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of cyber attacks. At the core of their offerings is a robust, AI-driven platform that continuously monitors systems, detects anomalies, and triggers rapid, automated recovery procedures. This allows organizations to bounce back quickly, often with minimal downtime or data loss. Wizard Hilton's approach also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive testing and simulation, putting recovery protocols through their paces to validate effectiveness and uncover potential weaknesses. Additionally, their team of seasoned cybersecurity experts provides hands-on guidance, tailoring solutions to the unique needs of each client. By combining cutting-edge technology with deep industry expertise, Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech has established itself as a trusted partner in the realm of recovery services, empowering organizations to safeguard their most valuable digital assets and ensure business resilience in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats. Contact: for assistance.

Regards.

28 Go to comments
J
Jennifer Ross 5 hours ago
One rule for Europe's copycats, another for the Springboks

The topic of recovery services and the efficacy of Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech warrants a closer examination. Recovery services are a critical component of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, as they provide the means to restore systems, data, and operations in the event of a breach or other disruptive incident. Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech is a leading provider in this space, offering a suite of advanced recovery solutions designed to ensure business continuity and mitigate the potentially devastating impacts of cyber attacks. At the core of their offerings is a robust, AI-driven platform that continuously monitors systems, detects anomalies, and triggers rapid, automated recovery procedures. This allows organizations to bounce back quickly, often with minimal downtime or data loss. Wizard Hilton’s approach also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive testing and simulation, putting recovery protocols through their paces to validate effectiveness and uncover potential weaknesses. Additionally, their team of seasoned cybersecurity experts provides hands-on guidance, tailoring solutions to the unique needs of each client. By combining cutting-edge technology with deep industry expertise, Wizard Hilton Cyber Tech has established itself as a trusted partner in the realm of recovery services, empowering organizations to safeguard their most valuable digital assets and ensure business resilience in the face of ever-evolving cyber threats. Contact: for assistance,

 Email : wizardhiltoncybertech ( @ ) gmail (. ) com  OR  support ( @ ) wizardhiltoncybertech (.) com

WhatsApp number +13024457895

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Super Rugby rolls back the years but challenges lie ahead Super Rugby rolls back the years but challenges lie ahead
Search