Sale Sharks re-sign Toulon prop Eifion Lewis-Roberts

from bbc online:

Sale Sharks have re-signed Welsh prop Eifion Lewis Roberts from Toulon on a three-year contract.

The 30-year-old will be a direct replacement for Andrew Sheridan, who has agreed a move to the French club .

Chief executive Steve Diamond said: "He's a very popular lad here, he knows the club well and I know that he will be a big crowd favourite once more.

"He's had a great experience out in France with Toulon and he'll come back all the better for playing over there."

Ruthin-born former dairy farmer Lewis-Roberts initially joined the Sharks in 2005 from Clwb Rygbi Rhuthun.

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“They want to win things, and I'm massively keen to do everything I can to help the club.”

Eifion Lewis-Roberts
After progressing through the Jets he made his debut in December of that year and established himself as a regular in the front-row.

The 6ft 1in prop, who weighs over 20 stone, was the heaviest player in the Premiership and earnt the nickname 'the Fridge' for his destructive carrying.

Diamond added: "Eifion can play both sides of the scrum and he's very durable and very hard working, which is what you need in those positions.

"He will give us that experience, which was what we need in the pack, and we just can't wait to have him back here again."

Lewis-Roberts, who won his solitary Wales cap as a replacement against Canada in 2008 , said: "I'm grateful that Sale Sharks have given me the opportunity to return.

"There have been a lot of changes, all good, including the way the team's playing. They want to win things, and I'm massively keen to do everything I can to help the club.

"I've enjoyed my time in France. It's a tough league, with a different type of game, more focused on the set piece.

"This is a decision for my family. My wife Nia is expecting our second child in June and it's the right time to come back."

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Shame I was hoping he would come back to one of the Welsh regions. But I guess the opportunity to be closer to his Farm in Ruthin was a factor. Sales seems to be building a formidable pack for next season.

Was hoping the blues would pick him up, in desperate need of a solid scrummaging prop

J_D wrote:Was hoping the blues would pick him up, have been in desperate need of a solid scrummaging prop since 1989

Fixed that for you

To be honest I guess its returning to somewhere where you feel comfortable and where you belong. Also if he chose Sale over the regions due to locality the first time, i guess its no suprise he has done so again.

Is the locality thing a bit of a lie? How does he manage to tend to his farm from Toulon? Or is that different?

Think all the regions could have benefited from signing Eifion:

Dragons: Ben Castle recently retired
Scarlets: Uncertainty of Rhys Thomas career
Blues: Filise & Jenkins possibly leaving
Ospreys: Adam Jones possibly leaving

Didn't realise he played on either side of the scrum, thought he was predominately a T/H.

Didn't realise he played on either side of the scrum, thought he was predominately a T/H. .

He was at Sale because Sheridan was there playing loosehead. I think at Toulon where Hayman was playing tighthead he played more loosehead.

Is the locality thing a bit of a lie? How does he manage to tend to his farm from Toulon? Or is that different?.

I guess with his wife expecting a child he wants to be closest to home and where the family is.

I can't see how you can just dismiss the locality thing as Sale is a lot easier to get to from Ruthin than any of the regions south of the M4, especially if your earning the same sort of money (or maybe a little less at the regions), while earning a significant amount more in France will allow you to make certain concessions (such as pay someone to look after farm, or go to France short term to experience the life but then come back to your close/local area to live with your family/friends once again) - whereas moving to the regions for slightly less money doesn't give you the same lyeway and would be a more permanent move

This is why there needs to be a North Wales region

Also if he chose Sale over the regions due to locality the first time, i guess its no suprise he has done so again.

Nah he was picked up by Sale. They brought him in because they thought he had potential. The regions had no interest at all.

I love how many awesome scrummaging props are farmers

Peter Clohessy
Julian White - saw him at a south devon sale in Exeter !
Carl Hayman
The fridge
Phil Vickery- pig inseminator (almost farmer ! )

Other non front rowers include the meads brothers (supposedly used to train by running up a mountain with a sheep under there arms) and john jefferies

sirtidychris:

you can add John Davies (Llanelli & Wales) and the late Brian Williams (Neath & Wales) to your list of farming props.

Vickery was a bona fide farmer. Beef and sheep in Bude.

Ok, he wasn't a prop,, but Graham Dawe was a beef farmer. Used to drive up from West Devon to train at Lambridge, then home all in one evening.

Other farming players- Doddie Weir; Kenny Logan; John Jeffery; Ben Clarke; Mike Phillips; Dan Lydiate to name but a few.

Peter Clohessy isn't a farmer. John Hayes is . . . .but isn't quite a scrummaging prop.

Dan Lydiate is from a farming background too I believe (mid Wales).

Sir Tidy add the Du Plessis brothers to that list. I'm pretty sure they now run their family farm.

Isn't Andy Powell from a farm - I know he comes from Powys but you always get the feeling that they might have been better off sending one of the animals to school instead of Andy...

Harnidorquy family are cattle traders.

Daan Human (toulouse prop) has a farm close to Bloemfontein

Thought he was a T/Head who could play loose, was bit surprised to see them saying he will be a direct replacement for Sheridan

nz prop tony woodcock is a sheep and dairy farmer. guess there will be a few kiwi players from the south island that are farmers.

must be an occupation that breed tough rugby players. remember the story about Brian Williams (Neath & Wales) while tending to his farm, he accidently nearly severed his left wrist with an nine-inch angle grinder - which should have ended his propping career, but managed to come back to play.

pioden gorllewin wrote:nz prop tony woodcock is a sheep and dairy farmer. guess there will be a few kiwi players from the south island that are farmers.

must be an occupation that breed tough rugby players. remember the story about Brian Williams (Neath & Wales) while tending to his farm, he accidently nearly severed his left wrist with an nine-inch angle grinder - which should have ended his propping career, but managed to come back to play.

Think about it. Wrestling live animals all the time. Heavy farm labour to build muscle from a young age. Good solid food. etc etc. Bound to breed some good forwards.

Sean O'Brien..... Big farmer head on him...... Rory Best.... John & Denis Fogarty (Hookers) Trevor Hogan. etc.

Redstag

Peter Clohessy runs a bar but also a farm (part timer i guess).....this list is growing...awesome....quite some formidable names in there too.....i wonder how many footballers are from farming ? or will go into farming after they retire

Andy Powell's family run a skip hire and recycling business in Brecon.

Ben Youngs family are big arable farmers in Norfolk.

gowales wrote:This is why there needs to be a North Wales region

Also if he chose Sale over the regions due to locality the first time, i guess its no suprise he has done so again.

Nah he was picked up by Sale. They brought him in because they thought he had potential. The regions had no interest at all.

Actually as I recall, the Scarlets were very keen to recruit him at the start of his career but he chose to go to Sale so that he could go home every night to his family farm.

This makes his priorities pretty clear and probably explains why he has never made the grade at international level.

Seagultaf wrote:

gowales wrote:This is why there needs to be a North Wales region

Also if he chose Sale over the regions due to locality the first time, i guess its no suprise he has done so again.

Nah he was picked up by Sale. They brought him in because they thought he had potential. The regions had no interest at all.

Actually as I recall, the Scarlets were very keen to recruit him at the start of his career but he chose to go to Sale so that he could go home every night to his family farm.

This makes his priorities pretty clear and probably explains why he has never made the grade at international level.

Its also because he has family in North Wales and he was only being offered a development contract by Sale or Scarlets. So i don't blame him for choosing Sale really. But i do agree that it seems that reaching the pinacle of rugby isn't his main priority. But in his situation i can understand it.

Ben Youngs family are big arable farmers in Norfolk..

Have you seen Ben's brother Tom? The term unit springs to mind and it's generally expected he will be the Tigers hooker of choice sooner rather than later (back injury has ruled him out for 3 months so slowed his progress this season).

Friend of mine is mates with the Youngs. Tom showed him a photo of the lump of gristle they removed from his spine. Incredible he is even contemplating playing again, let alone actually doing it!