Twelve Out

Giacheri is out!
By Sarah Braide
June 27 2002

Dave Swanton has clarified which players have actually been released from Sale. Surprisingly, the twelve include regulars like Mark Giacheri, Martin Shaw and Alan Dickens.

The full list is:

Adam Black
Les Bone
Jim Bramhall
Steve Davidson
Paul Devlin
Alan Dickens
Mark Giacheri
Bernard Jackman
Martin Shaw
Andy Whittle
Karl Long
Jon Sewell

There are several players (Paul Devlin, Karl Long, Jon Sewell) who are young and either aren't showing enough promise, or have received better offers from elsewhere. Then there are those who have provided good service for Sale but are no longer needed by the club, such as Mark Giacheri, Steve Davidson, Adam Black, Alan Dickens, Bernard Jackman and Andy Whittle. Jim Bramhall and Les Bone were both new signings last year who have had few opportunities to play this season.

Mark Giacheri provided cover for the second row and was played quite a lot when Iain Fullarton or Scott Lines was injured. Chris Jones has arrived to fill that gap now and we might well be looking at a second row signing as well. With the departure of lan Dickens and Jim Bramhall, the usual cover for Bryan Redpath at scrum half has disappeared but Sale's signing from Saracens, Nick Walshe, should become Repath's backup.

The other news is that Rowen Shepherd, who was signed last season partly to provide goal kicking cover for Charlie Hodgson but spent the entire time injured, has now joined the coaching staff.