Sale Revival?

Hooker: Joe Ward, Marc Jones, Neil Briggs

Since Sale won the Premiership gong for the first time in 2006, their slump has not slowed down to the point they now they are starting their 4th season in a row with a different coach. Though with Steve Diamond at the helm, you sense things will be different. Once again there has been a large recruitment drive and you can't help but think all this instability is hurting the team.

Having watched the style of rugby Diamond was playing with Russia, Sale fans must be hoping he'll introduce it to this side after the turgid stuff they played for large portions last seasons. There are still plenty of weaknesses in the squad, especially at 10 but hopefully both Diamond and Kennedy realise this is going to be a 2-3 year job not just fixed in one season.

What are people's thoughts on their chances? What players are you looking forward to seeing most?

Here's the squad:


Prop: Alisdair Dickinson, Andrew Sheridan, Aston Croall, Henry Thomas, Lee Imiolek, Tony Buckley, Vadim Cobilas

Lock: Andrei Ostrikov, Fraser McKenzie, James Gaskell*, Kearnan Myall*, Wame Lewaravu

Back Row: Andy Powell, David Seymour, Hendre Fourie, Mark Easter, Richie Vernon

Scrum Half: Dwayne Peel, Scott Mathie, Will Cliff

Out Half: Nick McLeod, Rob Miller, Tasesa Lavea

Centre: Iain Thornley, Kyle Tonetti, Luther Burrell, Sam Tuitupou

Back Three: Charlie Amesbury, Mark Cueto, Tom Brady, Will Addison

Dickonson and Buckley are experienced signings but their scrum won't strike fear into anyone.

Backline appears weak but good recruitment throughout pack.

I think Sale will naturally have a bit of a transition season given the large numbers of new players coming in, but they've made some good signings, particularly in the forwards. Still slightly lightweight in places, and I'm not convinced they have much at 10, but they should make a decent start to the season without too much interruption.

The back row combination of Gaskell, Fourie and Powell, with Vernon on the bench, looks really good. They also have decent options at prop as well. Henry Thomas is one of the top prop prospects in England, Sheridan is Sheridan, Briggs is dynamic and in both Buckley and Dickinson, you have two specialist impact props.

I predict they'll end up midtable (an improvement), but will play some nice stuff.

What happened too Paul Williams? Can't imagine that he was released by choice he was excellent for Sale last season.

First team:
1.Sheridan
2.Ward
3.Thomas
4.Ostrikov
5.Gaskell
6.Vernon
7.Fourie
8.Powell
9.Peel
10.Miller
11.Cueto
12.McLeod
13.Tuitupou
14.Amesbury
15.Addison?

Bench: Dickinson, Briggs, Buckley, McKenzie, Seymour, Cliff, Lavea, Burrell.

Pretty close to what you expect Sale fans?

Stag,

I think you might actually be surprised by the strength of the Sale scrum.

What I'm interested in is will Alex Blair get a contract and will he take advantage of that?

I meant specificially Dickinson and Buckley. Sheridan and Thomas will be strong.

Would love to see Sale award a full-time contract to Alex Blair - provided his injuries aren't that serious, I think he's got a huge amount to offer whoever picks him up. I'm looking forward to seeing how Thomas goes - for a youngster, he had a v impressive debut season, particularly as a tighthead prop. Thought Will Addison looked really handy against Exe last year too, so watch out for him. Also interested to watchhow Fraser Mackenzie develops as a player - not sure that Edinburgh shoud have allowed him to go

They've a fair few Scots haven't they.

red_stag wrote:They've a fair few Scots haven't they.

Yes, they've gone a wee bit Scot-tastic, taken over from Glaws, or from Newcastle or Saints before that, but lost one when young Jonny Kennedy had to retire due to persistent head injuries Probably owner Brian's influence?

Scots in bold:

Prop: Alisdair Dickinson, Andrew Sheridan, Aston Croall, Henry Thomas, Lee Imiolek, Tony Buckley, Vadim Cobilas

Lock: Andrei Ostrikov, Fraser McKenzie, James Gaskell*, Kearnan Myall*, Wame Lewaravu

Back Row: Andy Powell, David Seymour, Hendre Fourie, Mark Easter, Richie Vernon

Scrum Half: Dwayne Peel, Scott Mathie, Will Cliff

Out Half: Nick McLeod, Rob Miller, Tasesa Lavea

Centre: Iain Thornley, Kyle Tonetti, Luther Burrell, Sam Tuitupou

Back Three: Charlie Amesbury, Mark Cueto, Tom Brady, Will Addison.

Hmm, now how can we snaffle Henry Thomas - a Scots granny?

Sale's academy has been very good recently and I am looking forward to seeing how Tom Brady, Will Addison, Henry Thomas and Lee Imiolek go. I am also interested to see how the bulking up of James Gaskell goes.

It's funny As, but when Henry Thomas showed up so well in January v Dragons I hoped he was Welsh.

Risca Rev wrote:It's funny As, but when Henry Thomas showed up so well in January v Dragons I hoped he was Welsh.

As long as he's not Oirish, so!

Oi! Hands off!

Nice to see an English team with a core of English players and not packed with SH players (like England).

I think they are going to go ok. The scrum might struggle against the very best (Buckley will be first choice), but I think they'll do fine against bottom half sides. Their line-out has the potential to be one of the best, and they have a very mobile pack that will get to a lot of rucks. I think Myall/Gaskell, Fourie, Powell is one of the strongest backrows in the AP. I don't think the pack is lightweight, and I wouldn't try to bulk up Gaskell.

Very exciting young props, and Brady and Addison are two of the most exciting back-three prospects in English rugby. I'd love to see Miller get some starts at 10, although McLeod will be first choice.

Overall I reckon between 6th and 8th.

Dave, the only problem is that Diamond is on record as saying he wants Gaskell to bulk up and intends to play him in the boiler room

glamorganalun wrote:Nice to see an English team with a core of English players and not packed with SH players (like England).

Oooh cutting.

I can't see anything but another relegation dogfight for Sale. Would be interesting to see how much of the cap they are using up on what looks like another squadful of dross. I'm not a Sale fan but as they are my local Premiership team I drop in to Edgeley Pk from time to time, sadly I haven't ever come not wishing I could have the last two hours of my life back.

I hope I'm proven wrong, for the sake of NW representation Sale needs to get its act together.

Dave,

I'd be surprised if Buckley starts.

Chewed,

Whereabouts are you in Cheshire?

Really? I think he's been brought into start and to provide more bulk. I think I remember Diamond saying something along the lines of "the scrum clearly needs work" at the end of last season. I don't think Buckley, for all his flaws, has come to understudy a 19 year old at Sale.

I think Buckley has come to be an impact sub which is probably what he is best suited to. Henry Thomas anchored the scrum at just 19 years of age. If Sale really want to build this side, he's one of the guys they need to build around.

I have high hopes for Thomas, but Sale's scrum was a mess by the end of last season, and this is partly due to Thomas's lack of size and experience. I don't think you ever want a 19 year old prop to be first choice. He'll get plenty of game time behind Buckley. In a couple of year's time hopefully he'll be ready to be first choice by merit rather than lack of alternatives.

Dave,

If you think the scrum was struggling with Thomas there then wait till you see Buckley starting.

Thomas struggled as playing that many games in your first season is an absolutely massive step up from what he had been at what he was at before.

I'm not blaming Thomas at-all, it's a rare talent that could play TH in the AP at 19. But the truth is he isn't good enough yet to hold the position as first choice in a side with any ambition. Buckley's technical weaknesses are well known, but he's much stronger than THomas and I just don't think Diamond has brought him in to do anything other than be first choice.

Buckley is strong but that won't make a shadow of a difference until he learns how to scrum and what is the likelihood of that at 30? He will be best as an impact sub and I won't be surprised if he was signed for that reason.

http://www.salesharks.com/news/tony-buckley-signs-for-sharks

It seems to me that Diamond sees Buckley as key to his vision of a dominant pack, not as an impact sub.

We'll see in 7 weeks though.

Dave, if that is indeed how Diamond sees it, I'd be worried!

MBTGOG - am in good ol' Wilmslow

Jeez, mintie, I was at a wedding with MBTGOG only the other weekend just along the road at Shrigley Hall - v nice part of the world

Buckley is probably the riskiest signing Sale made, but Diamond obviously things the scrum weaknesses can be overcome. But, he does bring some clear strengths. In any case it isn't in Sale or Thomas's long term interests to have Thomas as first choice at 19.

You're right 100, it is a good part of the world. Don't think I'd have lasted long over here if I'd landed anywhere else in the NW

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Jeez, mintie, I was at a wedding with MBTGOG only the other weekend just along the road at Shrigley Hall - v nice part of the world

Wow Asbo, congrats to you and MBTGOG! Is this our first 606v2 wedding? Or have i just read your comment wrong?

Very good!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:Dave, the only problem is that Diamond is on record as saying he wants Gaskell to bulk up and intends to play him in the boiler room

I think this is a mistake. Gaskell to my mind is far better as a rangy ground covering flanker. If he bulks up, he'll inevitably lose some pace and his key strength will be lost. In the same way that Croft as settled at 6 rather than 5, so should Gaskell. McKenzie is a 5 anyway, and you certainly wouldn't get away with Gaskell and McKenzie as the two locks, you'd be shedding a lot of weight versus the other Premiership packs.

Fourie is hugely overrated. He is top 10 for most missed tackles in the AP.

Andy Powell is a good ball carrier but offers very little else. He's the Welsh Haskell in my opinion.

Never heard of the backline bar Cueto.

The pack looks like it will get outmuscled and the backline looks like it will be destroyed.

Compare it to Leicester,Saracens,Gloucester,Northampton,Quins and Bath - it doesn't look so good for Sale!

The other sides will be licking their lips too.

I think this is a mistake. Gaskell to my mind is far better as a rangy ground covering flanker.

Hasn't got the ball handling skills, has a habit of making himself a pain in the backside at the breakdown and maul though.

formerly known as Sam wrote:

I think this is a mistake. Gaskell to my mind is far better as a rangy ground covering flanker.

Hasn't got the ball handling skills, has a habit of making himself a pain in the backside at the breakdown and maul though.

Hmmm, I haven't noticed his ball handling skills being especially poor, I'll look out for that. Always looks a decent carrier to me. I just think that with McKenzie signed up, the better balance is to use him at 5, Gaskell at 6 and put a little bit more power in at 4.

Gaskell is quick and makes good breaks but he seems to concede a fair number of knock ons. Bit of a Ben Kay catching technique going on I thought.

Gaskell is also lightweight and, for all his effort it has to be said, gets thrown around like a ragdoll at times.

He doesn't shirk though so good on him, will be interesting to see how much he has bulked up over the off season and what effect this will have on him