Reed on steep learning curve amid Sale fliers

SURROUNDED by worldclass wingers, new England U20 cap Arron Reed admits Sale is the best possible environment for him to learn his trade.

Even though the presence of England stars Chris Ashton, Marland Yarde and Denny Solomona plus Scotland international Byron McGuigan has restricted his game time at the Sharks, the winger is revelling being among such exalted company.

The 19-year-old made his Premiership debut against Northampton during the Autumn internationals, almost exactly a year on from his senior bow in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.

He looked set to mark the occasion with a try until the referee spotted a forward pass in the build-up. The jubilation, and then disappointment, on the face of fellow winger Solomona, summed up how popular Reed is among his peers.

“It is amazing, all of them support me so much and want me to do well,” said Reed, right, who was this week short-listed for the Premiership Rugby Cup breakthrough player award.

“I go through my clips with Byron and he helps me out in training. Marland, Denny and Ashy, they give me tips, and it is just class to be around them and learn off some of the best players in their positions.”

Hailing from Wigan, Reed’s first experience of rugby was unsurprisingly in League, at Wigan St Pats, the amateur club that spawned former Sale cross-coder, Josh Charnley.

However, the emotional pull was always towards Union. “I stopped playing League quite soon because my dad used to play Union, as a seven at Taunton, and my uncle played on the wing for Leicester in the amateur era and then Edinburgh when the game first went professional,” Reed said. “My dad rings me every day asking me how things are going with the rugby, and they are all so supportive.” Reed came through the Sharks academy and has made 13 senior appearances in all competitions, a tally that surely would have been higher – even with the competition for places – had it not been for three hernia operations last season.

He added: “I grew up watching Sale as well as RL, so it means a lot to play for the club I supported as a youngster. I want to keep on getting my work-rate even higher than it is so that I can get the ball more and get involved more.”

In that respect, Ashton, the master of tracking play, is the perfect mentor.

“He is all over the place when he’s on the pitch, so he is definitely the person to learn off. Watching his clips, you can see he is analysing everything when he is running about, it’s class. Growing up, he was always one of my heroes.”

Still a teenager – he turns 20 in May – Reed says he was thrilled to play a part in England U20s 31-19 victory against France last week.

“It was a special moment pulling the shirt on and singing the national anthem,” he said.

“Personally, I didn’t get a lot of the ball because the forwards were dominating in the scrums, but I think it went well; we put plenty of points on a very competitive French side.”