Super Sale pair have taken world by storm
SALE Sharks have a great chance of welcoming a World Cup winner back to the AJ Bell Stadium thanks to some brilliant performances from Tom Curry and Faf de Klerk.
Both have taken the competition by storm, starting almost every game for England and South Africa respectively, making key decisions and tries to earn player of the match awards in their quarter-finals against Australia and Japan.
You only have to look at the stats to see how well they’re both doing.
Tom has made 46 tackles so far during the tournament for England and boasts a 92 per cent success rate, which will come as no surprise to Sharks fans.
His ability to seamlessly switch between the left and right flanks is impressive and he just seems to get better with every game.
I was a wing, and always had a favourite flank to play in – changing this in the middle of a game isn’t an easy task but Tom is more than capable of it. He’s had an incredible tournament so far and, at the age of 21, he looks to have many more ahead of him.
Faf has already been touted as one of best No.9s in the world, and his World Cup performances for South Africa are proving just that.
He took the Premiership by storm with his pocket-rocket style, punching well above his weight with the energy, tempo, and commitment needed to earn international recognition.
Faf’s also keeping Northampton’s Cobus Reinach out of the Springboks line-up, which is no mean feat.
Will we see the two Sharks go against each other in the final? It would be a fantastic occasion for the club, but it’s easier said than done as they prepare for a tough and tense semi-final stage. After their big victory over Japan, South Africa will be confident coming up against Wales on Sunday, but as ever must be at the top of their game to book a place in the final. England had their best performance so far against Australia, frustrating them all over the field despite the Wallabies having more possession and attacks on paper.
New Zealand, however, are looking ready and they are dangerous semi-final opponents. But as I said at the start of the tournament, England can beat anyone on their day – and let’s hope tomorrow is their day. At the top level of sport, anything can happen when it comes to the semi-final stage of any international tournament, but we’re hoping we can cheer on two of our Sharks pack in the final next week.
Also tomorrow, we at Sale Sharks are looking forward to a big game at London Irish, who pulled off an excellent win against Wasps last week in the opening round of the Gallagher Premiership.
It will be a great occasion with top-flight rugby returning to the Madejski Stadium, and as we defeated them there earlier this month in the Premiership Rugby Cup, they’ll be looking for some payback.
We’re also proud to announce a new club partner in Kingdom, a multi-services group based in Newton-le-Willows.
They’re a fantastic addition to our Business Club and the programme of events that come with it, which provides our partners with exclusive access to Sale Sharks players, behindthe-scenes access and helps raise the profile of their brands throughout the season.