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'There is nothing in my bones that wants to beat Saracens more'

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Ex-Saracens assistant Alex Sanderson is a touch mischievous, claiming he struggles to remember the fixtures schedule that his current club Sale have once they get next Saturday’s new Gallagher Premiership season opener versus Bath out of the way. He claims he had to look up the calendar rather than know off the top of his head that a trip to London Irish is what is pencilled in for the Sharks in round two of the 2021/22 English league.   

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However, the one fixture he doesn’t haven’t any hesitation knowing all about is next November’s clash between Sale, the club he joined last January as their rookie director of rugby, and Saracens, the serial trophy winners where he earned his stripes as a long-serving assistant under Mark McCall. 

It’s the first time their paths will have crossed since their parting and the round nine fixture on November 28 in Manchester – which takes place eight days after his Springboks contingent led by Faf de Klerk wrap up their Test year at Twickenham versus England – is sure to emotionally test Sanderson in a way he hasn’t yet experienced during his eight months so far in charge at the Sharks.  

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Matt Dawson and Mike Brown on their favourite rugby memories

McCall has been a regular sounding board for Sanderson ever since he decided at the top of the year that his rugby future was best served in Manchester and not in London and it will be interesting how that rapport evolves now that Sale are a rival of Saracens and not just a club the Londoners were looking up at from the Championship during the closing few months of the 2020/21 Premiership season and egging their old boy on go well while he was settling in. 

“I have looked at that Saracens game and I do know when it is now,” said Sanderson when asked by RugbyPass about a date in the Premiership at the AJ Bell Stadium that will surely carry some extra oomph for a director of rugby still learning his trade as a boss. “We have got a bye week the week after and it’s the week that the South Africans come straight back off after the autumn internationals, so I’d look at rotation all the way until at Christmas. 

“There is nothing in my bones that wants to beat Saracens more because that is what you do with the people that you love, your brothers, whoever it is. It’s not just the points, it’s bragging rights. They know that and they feel the same, but I’m not about to let my heart overrule the head with regards to what is the best thing for these players when they come back. If they have had four (Test) games on the trot then they need a rest. We’ll take that as we come to it, take into account where they are at and what the best chances are of us winning that game.”

Sanderson reckons Saracens are deserving Premiership title favourites on their return to the top flight and while his admiration of them is no secret, what does his old pal McCall make of Sale? “His feedback has been constant because I call him constantly,” he explained. 

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He was really supportive in some of the first games in terms of the shift in the mentality that we had on the field and then latterly in our ability to close games out which wasn’t one of Sale’s former traits and that is through a shift in the coaching methodology, how we are trained in the week. 

“We share a lot of very similar principles in terms of rotation and looking after international players which I have had some discussion with the South Africans and the one English lad we have got. He [McCall] is nothing but supportive, nothing but supportive, he is a great lad and that hasn’t waned over the course of the pre-season after he has got into the Premiership.”

What words from McCall most stand out for Sanderson? “It’s not his advice, which is always sound. It’s more the man that he is that has inspired me to be a better DoR on a day to day basis, kind of the values and the principles that he lives by which I still aspire to attain in many ways and to do that for the length of time that he has done it shows that is him as a person and not him playing a part of filling a role. 

“One of those, which is the first thing I said to the lads, is honesty, being true to yourself as in telling the truth you can never be done by the truth and in so many ways it sets you free. You can’t fool them [players], they are smart guys. You are going to get done at some point if you start playing mind games. I will endeavour to remain as I can for their best interests and for the club.”

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Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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