LIONHEART TOM
CUETO: SALE ACE HAS TO BE ON TOUR
THIS time last year, all sport was brought to a halt and none of us really knew what the future had in store for rugby clubs across the country – and when Sale would be able to play again.
It shows just how far we’ve come when today, rugby is back at the topflight level and Sharks are in many ways stronger than ever, following on from our Premiership Rugby Cup win last year and the recent appointment of Alex Sanderson as director of rugby.
Today, we’re in a healthy league position, sitting in fourth place and pushing for the play-offs in the Gallagher Premiership.
In this season like no other, it’s important to remember that even as we enter spring, we still have a little under half of the season left, and there’s only a couple of points between us and Harlequins in third.
Of the season so far, eight of those games have been with Alex at the helm, and he’s helped bring some great results, clinching big away wins against Leicester Tigers and Bristol Bears and defeating domestic and European champions Exeter at the AJ Bell Stadium.
On Sunday, Sharks again showed their quality with a storming 41-13 win, and it could have been more if not for efforts from Byron McGuigan, Lood de Jager and Jean-Luc du Preez being ruled out by the Television Match Official.
Even so, it was a highly convincing performance, with our five pointreturn solidifying our place in the top four.
Away from the Premiership, the Six Nations has reminded us all of the ups and downs in rugby. Just as Wales looked to be on their way to the Grand Slam, Brice Dulin’s dramatic try at the death saw France snatch the win. Now, the Championship hangs in the balance, as France must beat Scotland by at least a four-try bonus point and more than 21 points to leapfrog Wales into the top spot on points difference, which would be an incredible way of winning it.
Meanwhile, England haven’t been able to keep up their usual standards with the defeat to Ireland further showing the need for them to reset and go again.
It’s been disappointing, but it was always going to be difficult with several key players not playing regular competitive games since November due to Covid.
There is one positive from the Six Nations for Sharks fans in particular, with Tom Curry playing regular games and earning the man of the match award in England’s highlight of the tournament, the 23-20 victory over France.
He delivers every time he steps onto to field, with excellent performances week in, week out for club and country.
It’s this consistency that will surely see him earn a Lions place for this year’s planned tour to South Africa in the summer.
With games still behind closed doors for now, we know how important it is to keep engaged with our fans and partners, who have been supporting us from home for more than a year now.
Luckily, we’ve been able to stay engaged virtually and our latest Business Club event supported by long-running partners C&C Insurance Brokers, was a live Question of Sport style quiz. It featured some Sharks legends and took place from our training ground at Carrington with a live broadcast from our digital media partner Badger & Combes who did a great production job.
Club partners Homes4U have also hosted a session for our academy players, delivering a masterclass on getting on to the property ladder in and around Manchester.
It’s vital for this club to have great support from our sponsors and we’re looking forward to getting together with them and fans as we make our way back to hospitality starting again and stadiums reopening.
From the players to the backroom staff and the fans, it’s been fantastic to see everyone pull together during the past 12 months, and Sharks are focused on giving the North West something to celebrate in the not-too-distant future.