Webber: Sale now have the strength to succeed
ROB Webber has praised Sale Sharks’ recruitment and the strength of the Gallagher Premiership, as he looks forward to the Heineken Cup opener versus Glasgow Warriors tomorrow.
The hooker, 33, says he has noticed a gradual improvement in the quality of the English top flight since joining Sale in 2016.
“Every week, there’s a different challenge, so it keeps it fresh,” he told the club’s website.
“The whole standard of the league has improved. When I first started playing in the Premiership, the top six would quite regularly beat the bottom six – whoever that was – and that has changed now.
“Every team can beat every other team and that makes the league a lot harder, and the whole standards have had to rise because of that. That’s reflected by some of the great players and teams there are now in the league.”
The veteran, who has 16 England caps, has commended Sharks’ transfer activity after 10 new acquisitions, including former South African international hooker Akker van der Merwe.
WASPS’ Paolo Odogwu has been handed a six-week ban for kicking Sale’s Rohan Van Rensburg in the head.
The winger caught the Sharks player with a boot to the face when jumping to catch the ball in the 79th minute of last Friday’s Gallagher Premiership game. Odogwu admitted the charge when he appeared before an independent disciplinary panel in Bristol and was banned until December 23. Hearing chairman
“He’s given me a bit more rest which is fantastic!” joked Webber.
“He’s a fantastic player, very dynamic, powerful, good in the scrum – he’s a great addition to the team, as all the new signings have been.
“That is now a luxury that Sale have got this year, where in previous years they haven’t had necessarily. There’s more strength in depth, that allows you to train, play and think slightly differently as a squad and as a management. It’s good to have these guys coming in.
“If you have that culture within your group, those moments you’re not playing are a lot easier to live with. If you get that right, you can buy into the team being the most important thing, which is ultimately why we’re here.”
Despite the influx of new talent arriving at the AJ Bell Stadium, Webber underlined the importance of the presence of characters
Rob Webber
Dan White said: “The panel did not accept the player’s explanation that his leg extended to assist his balance in the air and prevent him from falling backwards.
“The panel found that, while he did not intentionally aim to make contact with the Sale player’s face, he did intend to use his outstretched leg to fend off a potential oncoming player and was reckless as to whether or not it made contact or caused injury.” within the squad and creating an atmosphere at the club to achieve success.
“You have to have the right balance between players, coaches, the right environment and the sort of people in your organisation. You are together so much as a group that you have to think about what you want your organisation to look like and get players that reflect that.
“All the players across the league are pretty good, so it’s the X Factor – it’s the bits away from the rugby field [that make the difference]. Teams that get that right, as much as anything, tend to get it right on the pitch. It’s the intangible stuff that makes the best teams.
“The foundation for any success is to get the environment right, and I know that’s certainly what we’re trying to do here now.”
Webber won the Champions Cup with London Wasps in 2007, and can’t wait to get back into topflight European action tomorrow as Sale begin their campaign at Glasgow Warriors.
He said: “Some of my best rugby memories over the years have been in the Heineken Cup – it’s a fantastic competition so we’re really excited about being involved in that.
“We played against La Rochelle last year in our group and I’ve played against Glasgow a few times – they play lovely rugby.
“La Rochelle are a very powerful outfit, as are Exeter, so they’re going to be very tough games that we’re going to have to be on our money for and hopefully we can deliver.”