Weighting game ahead for George
GEORGE Nott admits he is still playing the ‘weighting’ game this season.
The Sale Sharks youngster has made a big impression since being given his chance in the side in October.
After coming off the bench in the Sharks’ opening European Challenge Cup tie at home to Toulouse on October 6, the 22-year-old has either started or being part of the replacements in every game since.
He started both of Sale’s final two European pool games, at home to Lyon and then away in Toulouse last weekend and is set to be a key figure again in tomorrow’s Anglo-Welsh Cup game at home to Northampton Saints (2pm).
He has been determined to send a message out to director of rugby Steve Diamond to get even more game time, but he admits he is still raw. And, standing at 6ft 5ins and 17-and-a-half stone, Nott is trying to find the balance between power and optimum fitness.
“I still think I’m quite raw as a player so I was behind the curve in terms of development and getting my weight right,” he told the club’s website.
“I’ve got lots to work on and I’ve still not got my weight right,
“It’s about trying to balance that hard work in the gym with playing week in, week out. It’s an ongoing challenge.
“As a second row, you need some mass first and you need to be a certain weight to be able to compete.
“But at the same time you want to be fit and in trying to get fitter you normally end up losing weight and then trying to gain weight in the gym can be tricky.
“If you are playing 80 minutes week in, week out it can be difficult to gain that weight. But we’ve got a great team here at Sale working hard to help me get in the best condition.
“I also try not to compare myself to other players. I don’t want to say I want to be this weight because soand-so is – I want to find what weight is best for me. It’s just about finding what works best for me and then sticking at it and kicking on.”