State of Sale

By smoothhound
July 6 2005

As we all scratch around in the dirt trying to find ways of occupying ourselves until the start of next season, we may as well continue reflecting on the season just past and what this hearalds for the season to come. Smoothhound gives us a bit of insight to how things may shape up in the future.

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In the brief period following the closure of our domestic season, and before the Lions tests are upon us, while its fresh in the mind, perhaps it would be worthwhile to examine where Sale Sharks stand in their quest for major silverware. Following a 2003/2004 end-of-season upheaval, fans and supporters of the club were less than sanguine about prospects for this season. Yet we finished third in the ZP and mopped up the ECC - no mean feats. But Brian Kennedy’s stated aim is to turn Sale into one of the biggest (in terms of success) in Europe. So where do we stand on Brian’s magic roundabout?

The omens did not look good at the start of the season. The club was unsettled following an internal review. Steve Diamond set proceedings in motion by divorcing the club that had dominated a significant period of his life as player and coach. There was another club after his affections. And after his bridesmaid role at EP he wanted to be the bride, an ambition he achieved when Rod Kafer and London Sale divorced in turn in December. Like scorned marriage partners around the globe, Steve wanted his pound of flesh, and extracted it with the signing of seven Sale players, and the poaching of Sale transfer targets which he was no doubt heavily involved in assessing. The final insults were the untimely defeats administered at the tail end of the 2003/2004 season.

The review brought in the Frenchman responsible for “that try” at Twickenham (he’s a good man for turning up at the right place and the right time!) His arrival inevitably placed Jim Mallinder’s position under pressure, and just before the season started Jim, ever the gentlemen, bowed out gracefully and joined the England set-up. PSA meanwhile was plying his phone to bring in players to beef up the squad for his main objective for this season – to qualify for the Heineken Cup. One of his first appointments was Kingsley Jones as Coach. KJ’s lack of a record in this area at a senior level set many a supporters’ mind a-worrying – needlessly as it turned out. PSA and KJ have openly admitted that it was difficult to recruit for season 2004/2005, and had to rely on personal contacts to persuade players to join a club that was perceived to be in turmoil.

And once the season started, things got better on the pitch, and worse off it. The team won seven of its first eight games, including wins against Leicester and Wasps, and led the league into October. But early long-term injuries hampered the development of the team. The All-Blacks clobbered Fernandez-Lobbe’s knee, and it seemed for a while that he would not join us at all. Trevor Woodman picked up an injury in the weights room that brought his career to a shuddering halt. Graeme Bond eventually called it quits in December. John Payne also nursed a knee injury and was rumoured to have difficulties in finding a path through the immigration maze. And Josh Taumalolo’s calves proved a chronic problem.

Other recruits though, quickly proved to be the real deal. Chabal led the charge in attack and defence, and was rapidlly taken to the supporters hearts (only one man has made it there quicker – Billy Whiz). Bruno cast my mind back to early days when my Welsh games master exhorted us to “take ‘em round the ankles”. “Lilo” Martens proved to be a very tough nut around the contact area. And John Carter improved in leaps and bounds from his ND2 beginnings, apart from his predilection to give away penalties latterly. In fact the team did so well that 10 players were dragged away by their respective national squads for the autumn internationals. A full team of international and injury-ridden players were unavailable for selection, and the management struggled to fill the team sheet with sufficiently experienced players to maintain our league position. We held on to second place in the autumn, while losing games to Bath, Quins and Gloucester, none badly, but we just didn’t have the players to impose themselves. Coming out of the 6 Nations we had slipped to third, and then fourth, only regaining third slot in the last game of the regular season, as we swept into the HC, and swept Quins into ND1.

Phillipe and KJ had to scrabble around for players to make up the numbers and to strengthen the squad during these international periods. Byron Hayward was persuaded out of first class retirement to cover Mike Hercus’ absence while Charlie was on England duty. Sebastien Bozzi, an Argentinian prop, was borrowed from Orrell, and made an indelible impression with a sprint to drag down Brendan Daniel at Bath. A number of others were trialled, and were seen in Jets’ games, but didn’t meet PSA’s exacting standards, with the honourable exception of Oriol Ripol and Ben Coutts.

Recruitment for next season has been a more measured affair. Players and their agents have been ringing PSA, rather than him trying to fill the squad. He has been quoted as saying that the 2004/2005 squad contained some 23 players of the required standard. Therefore a more stringent standard has been applied to our fringe players and youngsters, in the knowledge that we may well lose another 10 internationals in the autumn. Those leaving have included Josh Taumalolo (Coventry), James Moore (Coventry), James Hoyle (Newcastle), Bryan Redpath (retirement), Mike Hercus (Llanelli in search of a starting position), Chris Rhys-Jones (St Helens RL), Pierre Caillet (Beziers) and Phil Davies (playing for Bayonne and rumoured to be staying France). Also rumoured to be leaving are Jos Baxendell and Mark Simpson-Daniel. And Trevor Woodman and Graeme Bond retired through injury (in Trevor’s case he is still trying to work through it). The best of luck to all of these players in their futures.

And arriving will be a whole string of centres, Mark Taylor (Llanelli, Wales and the Lions), Elvis Seveali’i (Ospreys and Manu Samoa, also a winger, he of the try that kept Bath in the ZP!)), and Epi Taione (Newcastle and Tonga), along with Daniel Larrechea (Bayonne), Lionel Faure (Pau), Valentin Courrent (Brive),  Nathan Bonner-Evans (Ospreys, a No 8), and Nick Wakley, a fullback from Doncaster.

The new centres along with John Payne and Robert Todd will be the most interesting area of development next seaon. None seem a like-for-like replacement for either the silky handling skills of Jos or the incision of Bondi. Payne, Todd, Seveali’i and Taione all seemed destined for, or have played this season, in the inside centre berth, and with the exception of Payne, would seem to run at the man rather than the space.Taylor is the only died-in-the-wool outside centre, although his form and fitness have not pleased the Llanelli fans this season. He was hauled into the Grand Slam-winning Welsh side as cover on the wing though, and has captained the Welsh summer tour. If Nick Johnson can sort his fitness out (perhaps I should say when), and he can rediscover his Lions form, he should provide the creativity through the middle. On reputation therefore Mark Taylor should occupy the outside centre berth, with perhaps Robert Todd as his partner and Taione on the bench.

PSA has increased the number of Frenchmen contracted from three to five. When he arrived at Sale he commented that perhaps he took too many French players to Gloucester, but has recently offered the opinion that five out of a squad of 34 or 35 is not a large percentage. Notwithstanding he has acquired three for next season to add to the two Sebastiens. Courrent is a France A scrum half who can play flyhalf, while Faure comes from the much-vaunted (until the ECC final!) Pau pack, a loosehead who can hook. Daniel Larrechea (flyhalf who can play fullback) is perhaps his biggest capture, as he has been earning good reviews in the French press, and was chased by Beziers, Castres, Clermont and Pau. Larrechea was a teacher, and this is his first fully professional contract. Its very likely that PSA’s reputation and recent track record of springboarding his players back into the French squad swayed not only Larrechea, but our other Frenchmen as well.

So how will the team look next season, with everyone available. Here are three choices, based on what’s known about and expected from our new players. Firstly, perhaps our strongest team:-

1. Sheriden
2. Bruno
3. Stewart
4. Lobbe
5. Schofield
6. White
7. Lund
8. Chabal
9. Courrent
10. Hodgson
11. Robinson
12. Todd
13. Taylor
14. Cueto
15. Larrechea

This selection retains the pack from last season in its entirety. The development of the front row culminating in the destruction of the Pau pack at the Kassam, plus Sheri’s seeming destiny as a Lions loosehead, bodes extremely well for next season. Bruno’s leap from ninth to first in the French ratings, and Stewart’s name again mentioned in connection with the Scots team (although insurance problems remain likely to keep him at EP during internationals) not to mention Stu Turner’s elevation to the Churchill Cup squad and Titterrell’s selection for the Lions are not coincidental. (Within the team selections, the hookers and tight heads are interchangeable). One row further back holds the prospect of Lobbe’s development into the keystone of the pack as his fitness builds up, while Schoey is maturing into an ever-present. The breakways are all in or on the fringes of their national teams, and Lund should continue to progress (pity he’s missing the Churchill Cup). Up front we should be more than a match for all except the most powerful of packs.
The backs will definitely show changes from last season, with Basil and Jos leaving the playing staff. Courrent and Hodgson will have to forge a new partnership, and Charlie will have to accept full responsibility for running the show without Redpath’s guiding hand inside him. Among the new recruits at centre a new partnership must arise, providing the stability, incision and creativity to promote traditional Sale back play. And it may well be that Larrechea will force his way into the team at fullback, with Robinson moving up to the wing. If so, we’ll not miss many place kicks with three first-line kickers in the side.
The team will obviously show changes at the start of the season, when Lions players are out resting, during the AIs and the 6N:-

1. Coutts
2. Faure
3. Stewart
4. Lobbe
5. Schofield
6. Jones
7. Lund
8. Chabal
9. Courrent
10. Larrechea
11. Hanley
12. Todd
13. Taylor
14. Seveali’I
15. Wakley

It must be borne in mind that the teamlist list above could be without another five of the names shown there. Lobbe was a Puma before his injury, and may well play again during the AIs. Jones, Lund & Chabal are within touching distance of their national squads, and Taylor has captained the Welsh tour of N. America although a good number of his Welsh colleagues are with the Lions.

And a second team, as rumoured to be playing in the Powergen:-

1. Faure
2. Titterrell
3. Turner
4. Day
5. Jones
6. Angelsea
7. Carter
8. Bonner-Evans
9. Martens
10. Wigglesworth
11. Mayor
12. Taione
13. Payne
14. Ripol
15. Wakley

One thing can be guaranteed – with PSA’s liking for flexibility and squad rotation, the unpredictability of injuries and the desire of fringe players to make it to the “show”, then these selections will show considerable changes as we journey through next season.

Those three teams (and everyone will have their own ideas about selection) look to me stronger than their counterparts of last season. The question to be asked is whether the “6N team” has the strength and talent to overcome, for example, the Spencer-led Saints, or Marshall’s Tykes.

Morale within the squad has soared, particularly as they achieved their objectives. The Kassam final was definitely played with a smile on their faces. The celebration evening back at EP cemented that impression, as the players, many of them initially shell-shocked by their reception, quickly relaxed in the company of their supporters, and more importantly, among themselves. We have a happy squad, stronger for its new recruits, and we can look forward to next season with more confidence than last season. Updating for reactivation