Northern Edition

Select Edition

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

'We went to Harlequins and we thought we were Real Madrid': Sale's disastrous 7-year opening day run:

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Steve Diamond and his Sale side are hell-bent on starting the new 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership campaign with a bang on Friday night at home to Northampton, seven years after they last won an opening weekend match. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Not since Gloucester were beaten in September 2013 have Sharks opened an English league campaign with a smile, Bath, Saracens, Newcastle, Wasps, Harlequins and Gloucester in October 2019 all emerging with a day one win over Sale.

Even Sale’s return to play following the March lockdown of the 2019/20 season was a disaster as they were limply beaten at Harlequins in August despite the newly-signed Manu Tuilagi heading up their all-star cast.

Video Spacer

Tom Curry looks ahead to England’s back row battle with Ireland

Video Spacer

Tom Curry looks ahead to England’s back row battle with Ireland

That outing was the start a nine-game run-in where Sale won just four matches and they eventually finished three points outside the Premiership play-offs, their season finishing chaotically with a walkover awarded to Worcester after 27 players and staff tested positive for the coronavirus.  

Having been exonerated following incorrect allegations of partying in the Manchester area, Sale are now at the start line again and the hope is the sour taste of their August bus journey home from London will help cajole them into a long-awaited winning day one start. 

“We went to Harlequins and we thought we were Real Madrid, we can win any game any time. We didn’t play particularly well in that game,” said Diamond ahead of his team’s opening night tussle with Northampton, a side whose own post-lockdown form left much to be desired. “One of the lads brought that up this week, remembering the feeling on the bus coming back.

“We had beaten Exeter earlier away and I wouldn’t say we were thumped (in Sale’s second post-lockdown outing) but they won the game and we couldn’t have any qualms about it. Then we got our backsides into gear and we only lost to Bath after that, a disappointing home defeat, but a lot of it is in between the ears really. Jono Ross is vocal about it. I’m vocal about it. You have to put it behind you. 

ADVERTISEMENT

“The most important thing is we don’t have to get the attitude of these lads up. That is a pre-requisite of them being here and getting your detail right. If you get your detail right and the attitude is right, you have a fair wind behind you that you will be a little bit better than the other lads on the night. 

“It really is pretty simple. A big thing for me is the start, a big thing for the team is the start. We’re not looking past the first game. We’re at home, we know we are good at home if we tick all those boxes, and we have trained bloody well over the last two weeks… with the squad and the coaching team we have got here we have got to be ambitious, thinking top four.”

  • Watch the Gallagher Premiership on BT Sport. Click here to buy now

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

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
JPM 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 1 hour ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

13 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Veterans return for All Blacks as team to play France named All Blacks team to play France
Search