YARDE: SOMETHING SPECIAL HAPPENING AT SALE
MARLAND Yarde says he never had any intention of leaving Sale after signing a new one-year deal with the club.
And the winger believes the Sharks are on the verge of something special over the next few years.
The 28-year-old was having an impressive season after being out of action for 12 months with a knee injury, helping the club to second in the Gallagher Premiership as well as the final of the Premier Rugby Cup.
And now he is looking forward to a successful future with the Sharks.
“I think we have the ability to achieve something great at this club,” Yarde told the Rugby Paper.
“We’ve made no bones about it, we want to challenge for the title, but only 60 per cent of the games have been completed so we have got a long way to go.
“Teams that are going to finish in the top four are the teams who are the most prepared post this break. Our focus now is just to make sure we are as best prepared as we can be so that when the games begin again, we can pick up where we left off.”
Yarde was linked with a move away from Sale earlier this year, with some reports suggesting a swap deal with Jonny May, who left Leicester to join Gloucester.
“I’d just like to clarify, at no stage have I ever been in any negotiations with Leicester or Wasps,” said Yarde.
“I don’t know where they got their stories that there was swap deal with Jonny May and me.
“Over the last six months I’ve been in negotiations about a new contract here (at Sale) and I’ve never entertained a move to another Premiership club away from Sale throughout that time.
“I actually signed the contract way back in March/April.
“It’s a one-year deal but, essentially, it’s a three-year deal because, in January, I have the ability to trigger a further two years.”
Meanwhile, Mark Wilson has left Sale to rejoin newly-promoted patent club Newcastle.
The flanker made just three appearances for the Sharks during his season-long loan, mainly due to the knee injury he suffered in England’s World Cup campaign.
“Mark has gone back to Newcastle and it was a good experience for us although he didn’t get to play that much with the operation and then Covid-19,” said Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond.
“He is a great lad and we wish him well with Newcastle.
“With them going down and Mark being a good player in an area where we were a bit light meant it worked for everyone, but I don’t think we would look at loans on a regular basis.”
Diamond is waiting to complete a deal for South African Cobus Wiese, and is hoping the Stormers lock will be in Manchester sometime in the next week.
Diamond told Rugby Pass: “Part of the visa protocol is passing an English test and they are still under lockdown. The contract starts on July 1 and we will be trying to get him as near to that date as we can and he is coming as a lock.
“All of our South African players who went back home are now here with their families and everyone is fully fit.”
Josh Beaumont, meanwhile, who has undergone knee reconstruction surgery, is back running.