Sale Sharks wait on Bath fly-half as recruitment drive gathers pace
STEVE Diamond is close to signing “four or five” players and still hopes to add England fly-half George Ford to his squad to try to allow Sale to compete with Europe’s top clubs.
Ford is Sale’s main target although changes at Welford Road have thrown Tigers into the transfer mix and Diamond told The
Rugby Paper: “It’s all gone quiet over there, as they say, in terms of George Ford but our recruitment is extensive and we are close to four or five signings to strengthen the squad for next year.”
Victory in their final European Champions Cup pool game over Scarlets 25-23 ended a ten-game losing streak that had seen Diamond, right, question his own performance.
Added to their problems was the sacking of Tom Arscott for leaking information to his brother Luke before the Bristol loss.
Sale go into the next stretch of Premiership matches in tenth place, seven points clear of bottom-placed Bristol and must take on Newcastle and Wasps at home, and champions Saracens away.
It has been a tough start to 2017 but Diamond is typically frank about the situation. “I’ve questioned what I have done and asked the coaches and the senior players every week,” he said.
“For me, the mind-set is there. It’s a real tight group from the owners to the kit men at the club. It is the start of how we need to play and how we conduct ourselves over the next three months to secure our Premiership status.”
On his own future he said: “You can never say never in this game. But we gave investors a plan over the next three to five years and I am instrumental in that plan.
“Those ten games we lost in a row – five were in Europe in a difficult group.
“You have to remember there are the haves and the have nots in world rugby and to come into a group with Toulon and Saracens is difficult for us.
“If you look at recent years then we either get to the quarter finals of Challenge Cup or get a good hiding in the Champions Cup. It is up to us to get bigger and stronger than that and if we do qualify over the next couple of years then be a real challenge for these teams.” Diamond is taking great heart from the performances of centre Will Addison who is standing in as captain while Josh Beaumont battles back from yet another injury.
He added: “Will is our best player and is fantastic. He has a real drive and is a hard working lad. He comes from an old school background and when he isn’t training as a professional player then he is helping on the farm so he is a grafter.
“You have seen the class on the pitch with a turn of speed and vision and we have had to have him contracted.
“He will play for England sooner than later and he is a brilliant utility player; fullback, wing and centre and his leadership qualities are second to none. As Eddie Jones has said leaders are few and far between in England and in our team. Will has stepped up to the plate and conducted himself as a real leader.”