News ‘Old school’ West given Sharks their bite back
DORIAN WEST has urged the Sale pack to keep on delivering performances like the one that helped dismantle Saracens when the Premiership resumes next week.
The Sharks physically dominated the defending champions in the 24-18 win before the European break and were 100 per cent in the set-piece, claiming all 13 lineouts and seven scrums awarded to them, while also badly disrupting their opponents’ ball.
West told TRP: “They’re a good pack and have been the benchmark over the last few years. We fronted up and I think we had the better of them on a lot of occasions in that game.
“We can take some confidence from that; over the last few weeks we’ve proved we’re a decent side and that people need to respect us. The job for us is to make sure we don’t think we’ve achieved everything, and we carry on setting our standards really high and work hard to be the best we can be.”
As an England hooker schooled in the no-nonsense environment of Leicester, West, below, is pleased that the Sharks’ forwards are now starting to show their teeth.
“I’ve probably got a different approach to what they’ve been used to, and credit to the lads they have responded really well to some new ideas,” he said.
“We have worked hard over the last few months and we are starting to see some of the benefits in our recent games. We needed to be a bit more confrontational in everything we did: that mentality of trying to dominate teams and not just being there to make the numbers up and win whatever ball we can.
“There are still lots of areas we need to keep working at and be more consistent in. But if you look at where we were at the start of the season to where we are now, we’ve improved quite a bit.”
West arrived at Sale a few weeks into the season and six months after his 11-year coaching association with Northampton came to an end. During his time at Saints West was in command of one of the most impactful front rows the Premiership has seen: Sione Tonga’uiha, Dylan Hartley and Brian Mujati. A World Cup winner with England in 2003, West hopes his wealth of experience will continue to stand Sale in good stead. “Hopefully that experience and understanding of what you need to do to be a decent side, I’ll pass on to Sale and we’ll keep improving.”
Now 51, West admits the job offer from Sharks DoR Steve Diamond was welltimed.
“It’s not nice not having a job and you do start to question yourself, but you do have to be confident in the stuff you have done over the years and the success you’ve had, it was just looking for that opportunity. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait too long into the season before Dimes rang. I jumped at the chance and I am really enjoying it here.”
To outsiders, West and Diamond are peas from the same pod: old-school hookers who only know one way.
However, West insists the label is unfair and inaccurate. “I suppose we’re similar, but most coaches you work with are similar; it is that sort of job where you have to love people at the right times and give them the hurry up every now and then.
“You have to do what’s best to get the best out of your team and the individuals within it, that’s what coaching is all about. We’ve got lots of lads with different characters who need to be treated in different ways.
“It makes me laugh when you hear all this ‘good cop, bad cop’ business and you are classed as ‘oldschool’ as if you’re all one way. That’s far from the truth.
“I worked with Jim Mallinder who was a very reasonable chap, but he had his moments where he got a bit hot under the collar and you would have to respond in the opposite way and adapt.”
Rather than dictate terms, West says he enjoys a good collaborative relationship with some of the senior figures in the Sale pack.
“Rob Webber has been priceless. He’s someone I’ve worked with in the past, going back to England U19s, and he has got a lot of experience and has played with a lot of good teams; he is someone who has helped deliver the message.
“Likewise Jono Ross as captain. He is a determined character who wants high standards and he wants us to be the best we can be, and you can combine that with the lineout expertise of Bryn Evans and Josh Beaumont.
“We have got a good group and the main thing is they are all driven and want to be the best they can be. They are proud with what we have achieved in a short space of time. The challenge is to keep on getting better and better.”