Diamond gives du Preez praise after joining Sale

SALE’S director of rugby Steve Diamond has praised new signing Robert du Preez (pictured), who has joined the Sharks to replace injured AJ MacGinty.

The South African fly-half will be at the AJ Bell Stadium for three months to help in Sale’s bid to climb the table.

“His qualities are obvious, he’s an 85 per cent goal kicker, he’s a good defender, a good runner of the ball, he’s a big man of six foot four and he understands the game well,” said Diamond.

As reported by M.E.N. Sport earlier this week, the Sharks have called on his services as a replacement for MacGinty, who picked up a shoulder injury playing for the USA Eagles over summer. He will miss the rest of 2018 as he recovers from surgery.

“Straight away we jumped into the market,” said Diamond. “We needed someone of international standing to come in.

“We approached his father, who is the coach at his club the Sharks in South Africa and we agreed it would be good learning for him to come into the UK playing between Rohan Van Rensburg and Faf De Klerk on a short-term loan of potentially eight or nine games.”

Du Preez has played alongside his two younger brothers at Sharks under his father. He began his professional career in 2014 with Western Province.

He has one cap for the Springboks, which he acquired over the summer.