We won’t roll over, snaps Sharks boss
DIAMOND RAP FOR ‘DESPERATE’ SARRIES
Sale’S director of rugby Steve Diamond has hit back at claims by ‘desperate’ Saracens that his side will not be motivated for Saturday’s top- four defining fixture against exeter.
With the race for the play- offs going down to the last day, Saracens coach Mark McCall — whose side are level on points with exeter and competing for the remaining semi-final spots — suggested that a lack of drive might result in the Sharks suffering a repeat of their 65-10 drubbing by Munster in January.
But Diamond last night claimed his side lack money rather than motivation and, in response to McCall’s comments, told Sportsmail he intends to field his strongest starting XV for the final-round trip to Sandy Park.
‘It was a bit of a silly and rash thing to say,’ said Diamond.
‘Saracens seem to be in a bit of turmoil. They’re one of the big spending clubs and are out of the top four as we sit. Their CeO left and they seem to be in a transitional period.
‘When people are desperate, they say those desperate things. He was probably a bit upset that, in their eyes, a side like exeter had beaten them away. They just need to beat london Welsh, I don’t see what the drama is.
‘Motivation isn’t what we lack. We might lack a bit of skill because we haven’t got the squad or money that Saracens have; we put our kids out against Munster and got beaten by 60 points. Our motivation levels will be as high as always on Saturday. We’ve not picked the team yet but we’ll be going with our fullstrength line-up of players who are available. If Under 19s and Under 20s are the only guys who are available, then they’re the guys who will play.’
Sale thrashed exeter 55-12 on their last trip to Sandy Park but now face a Chiefs side searching for a bonuspoint victory and a substantial winning margin to better the points difference of Saracens, who are bound to run up a cricket score against london Welsh in Oxford.
The Chiefs only joined the Premiership in 2010 and, if results go their way, they will qualify for the play-offs for the first time in the their history. Diamond said: ‘exeter are a well- run club. They’ve improved every year and achieved their goals. The club have got themselves into a position where they can qualify for the top four and everybody’s pleased for them. It’s fantastic for the league that it’s getting more competitive and tougher to qualify for europe.’
For Sale to become competitive in europe, they will need to replace outbound players such as Michael Paterson, who is joining Northampton, and Mark Cueto, who is retiring.
If selected, former england wing Cueto will play his 301st and final game for the club, having made his senior debut in 2001. Sending off the one-club man in style will provide one source of motivation for Cueto’s team-mates, with Diamond holding the 35-yearold in extremely high regard. ‘There are still one-club men about,’ said Diamond. ‘What’s changed is the physicality, so the longevity isn’t what it was when Mark started out. It would be pretty unique nowadays for a player to last as long as Mark has. He has defied the theory that you need to move down south to play for england. He’s had two lions tours and 50- odd caps, so he’s a good mentor for the lads in the north.’
Danny Cipriani is another player hoping to scotch the anti-northern selection theory. He is expected to make england’s wider World Cup training squad but also hopes to earn selection for the slimmed-down 31-man group.
The 27-year- old faces competition from Owen Farrell, who was injured throughout the Six Nations, but Diamond feels the fly-half has done all he can to win over Stuart lancaster and his selection committee — with one final chance to impress this weekend.
‘ Danny’s playing some fantastic rugby and I think he’s done enough to get picked for the training squad,’ said Diamond. ‘They’ll pick their group for the summer and chop it down, so then it will come down to the england coaches.’ HARLEQUINS wing Tom Williams, the man at the centre of the Bloodgate scandal in 2009, is to retire at the end of the season.