Solomona accepts hard graft needed to appease Jones
Denny Solomona admits that he will have to fight to regain his place in the England squad after being sent home from a pre-season training camp for a late-night drinking session with Manu Tuilagi.
The pair were cut from the England camp in Teddington on Aug 7 by Eddie Jones, the head coach, after reportedly returning to the team hotel at 4.30am. As Steve Diamond, Solomona’s director of rugby at Sale Sharks, succinctly put it: “He’s dropped a b------ and paid for it by being slung out of the squad.”
The winger, 23, had made his debut in the June tour to Argentina, scoring the match-winning try in the first Test. His contrition at letting down Jones, who had fasttracked Solomona into international rugby after switching codes less than nine months ago, was obvious.
“It’s definitely not much fun,” Solomona said. “I’m disappointed with myself. It was out of character. I need to work hard now, let my rugby do the talking.
“Eddie isn’t the sort of person to keep you in a squad just because he wants you. You definitely have to earn the right and earn your spot. I need to continue to work hard and train hard and go from there.”
This question is how hard a line Jones will take in the first real breach of off-field discipline since his appointment. The squad for the next training camp in Oxford is announced on Sept 22 and Diamond believes that Jones will not hold the indiscretion against Solomona in the long run. “No, will he heck,” Diamond said. “Eddie’s one of the best coaches in the world, he understands what young lads get up to some of the time, a rap on the knuckles goes a long way.
“I think it was a momentary lapse in concentration. As long as I’ve known him, he’s been an exception at training, he’s not a drinker, he’s just done what a young lad does occasionally. Show me someone who hasn’t made a mistake.”
It marks a tumultuous few months for Solomona since he was unveiled by Sale last December after ‘resigning’ from Castleford Tigers. That sparked a lawsuit which was eventually settled by the clubs in June a few days after his England debut, which featured three missed tackles leading to two Argentina tries. Solomona, however, redeemed himself, scoring with 100 seconds to go to seal a 38-34 victory. “It was the best-worst international debut anyone’s had,” he said.
Having completed a full season for Castleford last year before joining Sale, Solomona had effectively played 16 months continuously. Physically, he says that was not a problem. Mentally, it was a different story. Solomona admitted to feeling “burnt out” and “drained”. “It was affecting me at home,” Solomona said. “I felt restless, I felt anxious. Incredibly little things were causing anxiety and pushing me
Out of character: Denny Solomona says he is ‘disappointed’ with himself over the edge. I am quite a chilled person normally but little things were setting me off. The break has definitely helped me chill out.”
Solomona credits Mick Farrell, the team psychologist, and especially wife Jess, for helping him through that period, particularly when a foot injury threatened to rule him out of the tour to Argentina. “She has been amazing,” he said. “It was her who got me back into the England camp after I got injured. The three days after I found out I had torn a ligament in my foot, she turned into a witch doctor. She was making me take turmeric and basically nurtured me back on to the field. Within three days I was back running. She knew how much it meant to me and how much it affected me when I got the news I potentially couldn’t tour.”
Sale, meanwhile, have confirmed that they have made an offer to buy the AJ Bell Stadium from the Peel Group and Salford City Council.